Abundance and biogeography of methanogenic and methanotrophic microorganisms across European streams

• Published in: Journal of Biogeography
• Main Authors: Nagler, Magdalena, Praeg, Nadine, Niedrist, Georg, Attermeyer, Katrin, Catalán, Núria, Pilotto, Francesca, Gutmann Roberts, Catherine, Bors, Christoph, Fenoglio, Stefano, Colls, Miriam, Cauvy‐fraunié, Sophie, Doyle, Brian, Romero, Ferran, Machalett, Björn, Fuss, Thomas, Bednařík, Adam, Klaus, Marcus, Gilbert, Peter, Lamonica, Dominique, Nydahl, Anna, Romero González‐quijano, Clara, Thuile Bistarelli, Lukas, Kenderov, Lyubomir, Piano, Elena, Mor, Jordi‐rené, Evtimova, Vesela, Deeyto, Elvira, Freixa, Anna, Rulík, Martin, Pegg, Josephine, Herrero Ortega, Sonia, Steinle, Lea, Bodmer, Pascal
• Other Authors: Leopold Franzens Universität Innsbruck - University of Innsbruck, LIMNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY AND GENETICS UPPSALA UNIVERSITY UPPSALA SWE, Partenaires IRSTEA, Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA)-Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA), WASSERCLUSTER LUNZ LUNZ AM SEE AUT, CATALAN INSTITUTE FOR WATER RESEACH GIRONA ESP, Universitat de Girona Girona, Universitat de Girona (UdG), Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Germany, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Senckenberg – Leibniz Institution for Biodiversity and Earth System Research - Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Leibniz Association-Leibniz Association, Umeå University, Bournemouth University Poole (BU), University of Koblenz-Landau, Università degli studi di Torino = University of Turin (UNITO), Riverly (Riverly), Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT), Humboldt University Of Berlin, University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst), University of Massachusetts System (UMASS), Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Palacky University Olomouc, UNIVERSITY OF HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS SCOTLAND GBR, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS), Marine Institute Ireland, South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), National Research Foundation South Africa (NRF), University of Basel (Unibas), Université du Québec à Montréal = University of Québec in Montréal (UQAM), -German Research Foundation (DFG) : BO 5050/1-1
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2021
• Subjects: inland waters; methane-oxidizing bacteria; methanogenic archaea; potential methane oxidation; potential methane production; stream sediments; [SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio]; [SDE]Environmental Sciences; Northern Sweden
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-03130425; https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.14052

International audience Aim: Although running waters are getting recognized as important methane sources, large-scale geographical patterns of microorganisms controlling the net methane balance of streams are still unknown. Here we aim at describing community compositions of methanogenic and methanotrophic microorganisms at large spatial scales and at linking their abundances to potential sediment methane production (PMP) andoxidation rates (PMO).Location: The study spans across 16 European streams from northern Spain to northern Sweden and from western Ireland to western Bulgaria.Taxon: Methanogenic archaea and methane-oxidizing microorganisms.Methods: To provide a geographical overview of both groups in a single approach, microbial communities and abundances were investigated via 16S rRNA gene sequencing, extracting relevant OTUs based on literature; both groups were quantified via quantitative PCR targeting mcrA and pmoA genes and studied in relation to environmental parameters, sediment PMP and PMO, and land use.Results: Diversity of methanogenic archaea was higher in warmer streams and of methanotrophic communities in southern sampling sites and in larger streams. Anthropogenically altered, warm and oxygen-poor streams were dominated by the highly efficient methanogenic families Methanospirillaceae, Methanosarcinaceae and Methanobacteriaceae, but did not harbour any specific methanotrophic organisms. Contrastingly, sediment communities in colder, oxygen-rich waters with little anthropogenic impact were characterized by methanogenic Methanosaetaceae,Methanocellaceae and Methanoflorentaceae and methanotrophic Methylococcaceae and Cd. Methanoperedens. Representatives of the methanotrophic Crenotrichaceae and Methylococcaceae as well as the methanogenic Methanoregulaceae were characteristic for environments with larger catchment area and higher discharge. PMP increased with increasing abundance of methanogenic archaea, while PMO rates didnot show correlations with abundances of methane-oxidizing bacteria. Main ...