Parallel changes of taxonomic interaction networks in lacustrine bacterial communities induced by a polymetallic perturbation.

Karine Laplante, Sébastien Boutin, Nicolas Derome

Abstract

Heavy metals released by anthropogenic activities such as mining trigger profound changes to bacterial communities. In this study we used 16S SSU rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing to characterize the impact of a polymetallic perturbation and other environmental parameters on taxonomic networks within five lacustrine bacterial communities from sites located near Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada. The results showed that community equilibrium was disturbed in terms of both diversity and structure. Moreover, heavy metals, especially cadmium combined with water acidity, induced parallel changes among sites via the selection of resistant OTUs (Operational Taxonomic Unit) and taxonomic dominance perturbations favoring the Alphaproteobacteria. Furthermore, under a similar selective pressure, covariation trends between phyla revealed conservation and parallelism within interphylum interactions. Our study sheds light on the importance of analyzing communities not only from a phylogenetic perspective but also including a quantitative approach to provide significant insights into the evolutionary forces that shape the dynamic of the taxonomic interaction networks in bacterial communities.
Original languageEnglish
JournalEvolutionary applications
Volume6
Issue number4
Pages (from-to)643-659
Number of pages17
ISSN1752-4571
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01.06.2013
Externally publishedYes

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