Water mass specific genes dominate the Southern Ocean microbiome.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 41803086.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-026-69584-w and PMC identifier 12972064.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
The Southern Ocean (SO) plays a key role in regulating global biogeochemical cycles and climate, yet microbial genes sustaining its biological activity remain poorly characterized. We introduce a microbial genes collection from 218 metagenomes sampled during the Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition, the majority of which are missing from functional databases. 38% even lack homologs in current reference marine gene catalogs, defining a singular genetic seascape. We show that SO gene assemblages exhibit a common polar signature with the Arctic Ocean while being structured by water masses at the SO-scale. We analyze genomic markers of diverse SO biomes, focusing on dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP) cleavage by polar-adapted bacteria, organic matter consumption in the blooming Mertz polynya and adaptation to polar conditions in the ubiquitous bacteria Pelagibacter. Our work takes a step towards a comprehensive understanding of SO's plankton ecology and evolution, capturing the current state of the unique microbial diversity in this rapidly changing Ocean.
Medical subject headings
- Microbiota
- Seawater
- Bacteria