Mercury methylating microbial communities in boreal wetlands

• Understanding the formation of the potent neurotoxic methylmercury (MeHg) is a major concern due to its threats to wildlife and human health. As boreal wetlands play a crucial role for Hg cycling on a global scale, it is crucial to understand the biogeochemical processes involved in MeHg formation in this landscape. A strategy combining high-throughput hgcA amplicon sequencing with molecular barcoding was used to revealed diverse clades of Hg(II) methylators in a wide range of wetland soils. Our results confirms a predominant role of Deltaproteobacteria, and in particular Geobacteraceae, as important Hg(II) methylators in boreal wetland soils. Firmicutes, and in particular Ruminococcaceae, were also abundant members of the Hg(II) methylating microbial communities. Our survey highlight the importance of nutrient status for the shaping of Hg(II) methylating communities across the four wetlands and reveal that water content and prevailing redox states are key factors determining the local variation in Hg(II) methylating community composition within individual wetlands. Also, our study suggests that high nutrient levels linked to low redox potential seemed to favour Hg(II) methylating methanogens within the Methanoregulaceae. Our findings expand the current knowledge on the Hg(II) methylating microbial community composition in wetland soils and the geochemical factors underpinning spatial heterogeity in such communities.  

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Genetik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Genetics (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Wetlands

Methylmercury

Mercury methylation

hgcA

Community composition

Bacteria

Biology with specialization in Limnology

Biologi med inriktning mot limnologi

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

ovr (ämneskategori)