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Nutrient supply controls the linkage between species abundance and ecological interactions in marine bacterial communities

Author

Listed:
  • Tianjiao Dai

    (Tsinghua University
    Peking University)

  • Donghui Wen

    (Peking University)

  • Colin T. Bates

    (University of Oklahoma)

  • Linwei Wu

    (University of Oklahoma)

  • Xue Guo

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Suo Liu

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Yifan Su

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Jiesi Lei

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Jizhong Zhou

    (University of Oklahoma
    University of Oklahoma
    Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)

  • Yunfeng Yang

    (Tsinghua University)

Abstract

Nutrient scarcity is pervasive for natural microbial communities, affecting species reproduction and co-existence. However, it remains unclear whether there are general rules of how microbial species abundances are shaped by biotic and abiotic factors. Here we show that the ribosomal RNA gene operon (rrn) copy number, a genomic trait related to bacterial growth rate and nutrient demand, decreases from the abundant to the rare biosphere in the nutrient-rich coastal sediment but exhibits the opposite pattern in the nutrient-scarce pelagic zone of the global ocean. Both patterns are underlain by positive correlations between community-level rrn copy number and nutrients. Furthermore, inter-species co-exclusion inferred by negative network associations is observed more in coastal sediment than in ocean water samples. Nutrient manipulation experiments yield effects of nutrient availability on rrn copy numbers and network associations that are consistent with our field observations. Based on these results, we propose a “hunger games” hypothesis to define microbial species abundance rules using the rrn copy number, ecological interaction, and nutrient availability.

Suggested Citation

  • Tianjiao Dai & Donghui Wen & Colin T. Bates & Linwei Wu & Xue Guo & Suo Liu & Yifan Su & Jiesi Lei & Jizhong Zhou & Yunfeng Yang, 2022. "Nutrient supply controls the linkage between species abundance and ecological interactions in marine bacterial communities," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-021-27857-6
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27857-6
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    Cited by:

    1. Cong Wang & Qing-Yi Yu & Niu-Niu Ji & Yong Zheng & John W. Taylor & Liang-Dong Guo & Cheng Gao, 2023. "Bacterial genome size and gene functional diversity negatively correlate with taxonomic diversity along a pH gradient," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    2. Mingxing Wang & An-Hui Ge & Xingzhu Ma & Xiaolin Wang & Qiujin Xie & Like Wang & Xianwei Song & Mengchen Jiang & Weibing Yang & Jeremy D. Murray & Yayu Wang & Huan Liu & Xiaofeng Cao & Ertao Wang, 2024. "Dynamic root microbiome sustains soybean productivity under unbalanced fertilization," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-15, December.
    3. Manlu Zhu & Xiongfeng Dai, 2024. "Shaping of microbial phenotypes by trade-offs," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    4. Yuxiang Zhao & Zishu Liu & Baofeng Zhang & Jingjie Cai & Xiangwu Yao & Meng Zhang & Ye Deng & Baolan Hu, 2023. "Inter-bacterial mutualism promoted by public goods in a system characterized by deterministic temperature variation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.

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