Functional genomic analysis of nutrient cycling of plant-soil continuum in the mossy biocrust in the Tengger Desert

Abstract

The microbiome and metabolic processes occurring in the soil of the moss crust-soil continuum contribute to drive biogeochemical cycles. In this study, soil chemical properties of soil which was attached to bryophyte (BRS) and soil which was dropped from bryophyte (BBS) were analyzed. Differences in microbial species composition, metabolic pathways and related genes of these two different soil types were also analyzed. The results showed that the total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN) and ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) content of BRS were significantly higher than those of BBS. The dominant phylum in the soil microbiome of the moss crust-soil continuum was Actinobacteria. Genes and metabolic pathways related to the carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur cycle differed between BRS and BBS. The carbon sequestration capacity of BRS was higher than that of BBS. The relative abundance of napA, narH and narI genes involved in denitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction in the BRS microbiome was significantly higher than that in the BBS microbiome, while the relative abundance of nasA, NR and nirA genes involved in assimilatory nitrate reduction in the BRS soil microbiome was significantly lower than that in the BBS soil microbiome. The relative abundance of glpQ genes encoding glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase in the BRS microbiome was significantly higher than that in the BBS microbime, while the relative abundance of pstS, pstA, pstC, pstB genes responsible for phosphate-specific transport systems in the BRS microbiome was significantly lower than that in the BBS microbiome. The abundance of the assimilatory sulfate-reducing metabolic pathway in the BRS microbiome was significantly higher than that in the BBS microbiome, while the dissimilatory sulfate-reducing metabolic pathway in the BRS microbiome was significantly lower than that in the BBS microbiome. The study found that the microbiome in the soil which was attached to bryophyte plays a more important role in the accumulation of soil nutrients in the Tengger Desert through biodiversity and metabolic activity.