Distinct genes and microbial communities involved in nitrogen cycling between monsoon- and westerlies-dominated Tibetan glaciers
Abstract The Tibetan Plateau (TP) glaciers are influenced by monsoon and westerlies. They are highly sensitive to climate change, with atmospheric nitrogen deposition significantly impacting microbial communities and functions. However, key uncertainties persist regarding biogeography and drivers of...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61002-x |
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| author | Zhihao Zhang Yongqin Liu Weishu Zhao Keshao Liu Yuying Chen Feng Wang Guannan Mao Mukan Ji |
| author_facet | Zhihao Zhang Yongqin Liu Weishu Zhao Keshao Liu Yuying Chen Feng Wang Guannan Mao Mukan Ji |
| author_sort | Zhihao Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The Tibetan Plateau (TP) glaciers are influenced by monsoon and westerlies. They are highly sensitive to climate change, with atmospheric nitrogen deposition significantly impacting microbial communities and functions. However, key uncertainties persist regarding biogeography and drivers of genes and microbial communities involved in nitrogen cycling. Here, we investigate the diversity and transcriptional activity of microbial communities and nitrogen-cycling genes using 85 metagenomes and 28 metatranscriptomes from the ablation zone of 21 TP glaciers. Our results show that over 90% of the glacial taxa possess the potential for nitrogen metabolism, with ~33% exhibiting transcriptional activity. Moreover, monsoon-dominated glaciers present greater microbial diversity and higher prevalence of nitrogen-fixing genes than westerlies-dominated glaciers, linked to higher temperatures. Comparatively, the latter show elevated genomic potential for nitrous oxide emissions, likely due to higher nitrate concentrations. These findings establish temperature-nitrogen co-regulation of microbial nitrogen transformations, critical for predicting climate feedback in the extreme environment. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-aee9b2c6f76e46b8a02e7e074c5286a2 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-aee9b2c6f76e46b8a02e7e074c5286a22025-08-20T03:45:31ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-07-0116111510.1038/s41467-025-61002-xDistinct genes and microbial communities involved in nitrogen cycling between monsoon- and westerlies-dominated Tibetan glaciersZhihao Zhang0Yongqin Liu1Weishu Zhao2Keshao Liu3Yuying Chen4Feng Wang5Guannan Mao6Mukan Ji7State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityState Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of SciencesCenter for the Pan-third Pole Environment, Lanzhou UniversityState Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of SciencesCenter for the Pan-third Pole Environment, Lanzhou UniversityCenter for the Pan-third Pole Environment, Lanzhou UniversityAbstract The Tibetan Plateau (TP) glaciers are influenced by monsoon and westerlies. They are highly sensitive to climate change, with atmospheric nitrogen deposition significantly impacting microbial communities and functions. However, key uncertainties persist regarding biogeography and drivers of genes and microbial communities involved in nitrogen cycling. Here, we investigate the diversity and transcriptional activity of microbial communities and nitrogen-cycling genes using 85 metagenomes and 28 metatranscriptomes from the ablation zone of 21 TP glaciers. Our results show that over 90% of the glacial taxa possess the potential for nitrogen metabolism, with ~33% exhibiting transcriptional activity. Moreover, monsoon-dominated glaciers present greater microbial diversity and higher prevalence of nitrogen-fixing genes than westerlies-dominated glaciers, linked to higher temperatures. Comparatively, the latter show elevated genomic potential for nitrous oxide emissions, likely due to higher nitrate concentrations. These findings establish temperature-nitrogen co-regulation of microbial nitrogen transformations, critical for predicting climate feedback in the extreme environment.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61002-x |
| spellingShingle | Zhihao Zhang Yongqin Liu Weishu Zhao Keshao Liu Yuying Chen Feng Wang Guannan Mao Mukan Ji Distinct genes and microbial communities involved in nitrogen cycling between monsoon- and westerlies-dominated Tibetan glaciers Nature Communications |
| title | Distinct genes and microbial communities involved in nitrogen cycling between monsoon- and westerlies-dominated Tibetan glaciers |
| title_full | Distinct genes and microbial communities involved in nitrogen cycling between monsoon- and westerlies-dominated Tibetan glaciers |
| title_fullStr | Distinct genes and microbial communities involved in nitrogen cycling between monsoon- and westerlies-dominated Tibetan glaciers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Distinct genes and microbial communities involved in nitrogen cycling between monsoon- and westerlies-dominated Tibetan glaciers |
| title_short | Distinct genes and microbial communities involved in nitrogen cycling between monsoon- and westerlies-dominated Tibetan glaciers |
| title_sort | distinct genes and microbial communities involved in nitrogen cycling between monsoon and westerlies dominated tibetan glaciers |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61002-x |
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