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Genetic Diversity of Eukaryotic Plankton Assemblages in Eastern Tibetan Lakes Differing by their Salinity and Altitude

  • Microbiology of Aquatic Systems
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Abstract

Eukaryotic plankton assemblages in 11 high-mountain lakes located at altitudes of 2,817 to 5,134 m and over a total area of ca. one million square kilometers on the Eastern Tibet Plateau, spanning a salinity gradient from 0.2 (freshwater) to 187.1 g l−1 (hypersaline), were investigated by cultivation independent methods. Two 18S rRNA gene-based fingerprint approaches, i.e., the terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) with subsequent band sequencing were applied. Samples of the same lake type (e.g., freshwater) generally shared more of the same bands or T-RFs than samples of different types (e.g., freshwater versus saline). However, a certain number of bands or T-RFs among the samples within each lake were distinct, indicating the potential presence of significant genetic diversity within each lake. PCA indicated that the most significant environmental gradient among the investigated lakes was salinity. The observed molecular profiles could be further explained (17–24%) by ion percentage of chloride, carbonate and bicarbonate, and sulfate, which were also covaried with change of altitude and latitude. Sequence analysis of selected major DGGE bands revealed many sequences (largely protist) that are not related to any known cultures but to uncultured eukaryotic picoplankton and unidentified eukaryotes. One fourth of the retrieved sequences showed ≤97% similarity to the closest sequences in the GenBank. Sequences related to well-known heterotrophic nanoflagellates were not retrieved from the DGGE gels. Several groups of eukaryotic plankton, which were found worldwide and detected in low land lakes, were also detected in habitats located above 4,400 m, suggesting a cosmopolitan distribution of these phylotypes. Collectively, our study suggests that there was a high beta-diversity of eukaryotic plankton assemblages in the investigated Tibetan lakes shaped by multiple geographic and environmental factors.

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Acknowledgment

We would like to thank Xiangdong Yang, Xingqi Liu, and Weilang Xia for their assistance in sampling of the lakes, Hongxi Pang for water chemistry analysis, Verena Jaschik for excellent support of the T-RFLP analysis, Song Xiaolan for counting of phytoplankton, and Li Jing for enumeration of ciliates. The NSFC (grant 30770392), the National Basic Research Program of China (2008CB418104), and FWF project (P19706) funded the research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography & Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, East Beijing Road 73, Nanjing, 210008, People’s Republic of China

    Qinglong L. Wu & Jianjun Wang

  2. Department of Environmental Microbiology, UFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany

    Antonis Chatzinotas

  3. Institute for Limnology, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Mondseestrasse 9, 5310, Mondsee, Austria

    Jens Boenigk

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  1. Qinglong L. Wu
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  2. Antonis Chatzinotas
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  3. Jianjun Wang
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  4. Jens Boenigk
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Correspondence to Qinglong L. Wu or Jens Boenigk.

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Qinglong L. Wu and Antonis Chatzinotas contribute equally to this work.

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Wu, Q.L., Chatzinotas, A., Wang, J. et al. Genetic Diversity of Eukaryotic Plankton Assemblages in Eastern Tibetan Lakes Differing by their Salinity and Altitude. Microb Ecol 58, 569–581 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-009-9526-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-009-9526-8

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