Driving Effects of Shared and Specific Microbial Genera in Community Diversity and Carbon， Nitrogen， Phosphorus， and Sulfur Cycling Functions across Five Major Water Systems of Beijing

doi:10.13560/j.cnki.biotech.bull.1985.2025-0611

Abstract

Abstract:

Objective Microorganisms are essential in aquatic ecosystems, influencing material cycling and energy flow. They have distinct community structures and functions in various water bodies. This study aims to analyze the diversity, community stability, and network complexity of microorganisms in the five major water systems of Beijing, as well as assess the carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur related functions of microorganisms in these systems. Method This study utilized metagenomic sequencing technology to analyze the microbial communities in the five major water systems of Beijing. Result The Shannon and Simpson indices werethe highest in the microbial communities of the Ji-Yun River system, yet these communities were in the lowest stability. The opposite pattern was observed in the Yongding River, supporting the “diversity-stability” hypothesis. The study quantified and compared the cycling and metabolic functions of the five major river systems, revealing that the Ji-Yun River had the highest abundance across multiple metabolic pathways. The abundances of two core genera were positively correlated with diversity and functional-gene abundance, but negatively correlated with microbial community stability and network complexity. Conclusion The presence of shared and specific genera among the microorganisms in the five major water systems drive diversity pattern and functional potential. This research provides a strong basis for the development of a thriving and sustainable aquatic ecosystem.

Key words: five major water systems of Beijing, water microorganism, microbial functional characteristics, shared and specific genus

ZHANG Lei, DU Yao, ZHOU Ying-wen, ZHANG yi-wen, LI lu, WANG zhan, LI shang-yun, HE Xiao-qing. Driving Effects of Shared and Specific Microbial Genera in Community Diversity and Carbon， Nitrogen， Phosphorus， and Sulfur Cycling Functions across Five Major Water Systems of Beijing[J]. Biotechnology Bulletin, 2026, 42(5): 234-247.

Figures/Tables 8

Fig. 1 Sampling point distributionThe picture is sourced from the results of the first water conservancy census of Beijing conducted between 2010 and 2012. BYR: BeiYun River; CBR: ChaoBai River; DQR: DaQing River; JYR: Jiyun River; YDR: YongDing River. The same below

Fig. 2 Microbial diversity and community compositionA: Relative abundance at the phylum level and genus level; B: α diversity index; C: PCoA analysis; D: AVD index; E: relationship between microbial stability index and Shannon index, Simpson index

Fig. 3 Co-occurrence network of microbial genus and keystone in five major water systemsA: Co-occurrence network of microbial genus level in five major water systems. B: Keystone of microorganisms in five major water systems. C-F: Comparison of Keystone numbers, abundance, network modularity, and network complexity in the five major water systems. G: The regression relationship between the numbers of keystone and network complexity

Fig. 4 Relationships of environmental factors and communityA: Difference of environmental factors. B: RDA analysis of environmental factors and community

Fig. 5 N, P, C, S metabolic function gene differencesA: Gene abundance of KEGG level. 2. B: N, P, C, S metabolic pathway difference. C: The differences and proportions of functional abundance between the Jiyun River and the other four water systems

Table 1 N, P, C, S metabolic pathway difference

代谢通路 Metabolic pathway	CBR	YDR	BYR	DQR	JYR
Dissimilatory nitrate reduction	422.79	247.63	2 786.18	2 890.77	6 224.69
Assimilatory nitrate reduction	990.38	449.19	290.15	155.49	134.04
Denitrification	233.61	140.39	2 177.48	1 459.56	2 160.70
Nitrification	245.79	156.91	2 121.28	2 006.09	4 362.90
NAD（P）H-quinone oxidoreductase	462.55	458.80	257.05	156.50	115.64
Cytochrome c oxidase， cbb3-type	897.19	927.77	1 850.30	2 485.02	3 608.05
Cytochrome bd ubiquinol oxidase	532.99	552.14	847.88	1 420.04	2 034.80
Cytochrome bc1 complex	391.10	430.96	615.08	482.83	788.79
Type I secretion	682.30	674.28	1 254.54	1 204.90	1 919.10
Type II secretion	467.52	402.35	833.83	1 154.43	1 975.22
Type Ⅳ secretion	76.85	41.50	305.24	259.93	570.08
Dissimilatory arsenic reduction	1 828.24	1 665.47	2 420.37	2 477.97	3 164.24
Wood-Ljungdahl pathway	1.66	5.58	18.66	7.19	1.24
3-Hydroxypropionate Bicycle	175.76	156.06	249.41	311.52	365.87
Methanogenesis	0.29	1.07	8.69	4.32	0.86
Fermentation to formate	835.57	912.58	1 807.42	2 220.91	3 230.39
Fermentation to acetate	121.18	38.19	40.19	52.43	134.20
Fermentation to ethanol	4 361.11	3 558.31	5 402.47	7 320.00	9 378.01
Assimilatory sulfate reduction	1 737.97	1 300.54	1 950.72	2 666.15	4 417.41
Thiosulfate oxidation by SOX complex	740.87	836.35	1 336.70	1 437.95	1 992.74
Alternative thiosulfate oxidation	116.09	99.34	65.60	175.63	16.84
Thiosulfate oxidation	1 147.70	1 337.66	2 122.03	2 691.99	3 134.51
Thiosulfate disproportionation	7.59	9.01	38.47	26.03	7.27
Sulfide oxidation	2.29	21.31	21.10	46.31	35.72
DMS oxidation	75.27	71.31	120.72	185.39	191.44

Fig. 6 Shared and specific genus in five major water systemsA: Screening of common and specific genus. B: The influencing factors of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur metabolism in the five major water systems. C: The relationship between common genera, endemic genera, and environmental factors. D: The relationship between common genera, endemic genera, Shannon index, microbial stability index, and NST index. E: The relationship between common genera, endemic genera, and carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur metabolism in the five major water systems

Fig. 7 Explores the important factors influencing functional circulationA: Mantel test of core genus and metabolic functions; B: regression analysis of core genus and metabolic functions; C: regression analysis of microbial diversity and metabolic functions; D: contribution of two core taxa and microbial diversity and microbial stability to functional cycling

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