TY - JOUR

T1 - DNA metabarcoding reveals the impact of Cu2+ on soil cercozoan diversity

AU - Lourenço, Leah

AU - Ellegaard Bager, Sara

AU - Ng, Duncan Y.K.

AU - Sheikh, Sanea

AU - Lunding Kindtler, Nikolaj

AU - Broman Nielsen, Ida

AU - Guldberg Frøslev, Tobias

AU - Ekelund, Flemming

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s)

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - Although copper (Cu2+) is a micronutrient, the metal may be toxic if present in high concentrations in soil ecosystems and subsequently affect various organisms, ranging from microorganisms to earthworms. We performed a microcosm study with an array of Cu2+ concentrations, with a specific focus on Cercozoa, an important protozoan group in most soil food webs. Research on Cercozoa is still scarce in terms of both diversity and ecology; hence, to explore this group in more depth, we used high-throughput sequencing to detect Cu2+ induced community changes. Increased levels of Cu2+ caused a shift in the cercozoan community, and we observed decreased cercozoan relative abundance across the majority of orders, families and genera. Due to their key role in soil food webs, especially as bacterial predators and providers of nutrients to plants, the reduction of cercozoan abundance and diversity may seriously affect soil functionality. Our results indicate that the increase of Cu2+ concentrations in the soil could potentially have this effect and the consequences need exploration.

AB - Although copper (Cu2+) is a micronutrient, the metal may be toxic if present in high concentrations in soil ecosystems and subsequently affect various organisms, ranging from microorganisms to earthworms. We performed a microcosm study with an array of Cu2+ concentrations, with a specific focus on Cercozoa, an important protozoan group in most soil food webs. Research on Cercozoa is still scarce in terms of both diversity and ecology; hence, to explore this group in more depth, we used high-throughput sequencing to detect Cu2+ induced community changes. Increased levels of Cu2+ caused a shift in the cercozoan community, and we observed decreased cercozoan relative abundance across the majority of orders, families and genera. Due to their key role in soil food webs, especially as bacterial predators and providers of nutrients to plants, the reduction of cercozoan abundance and diversity may seriously affect soil functionality. Our results indicate that the increase of Cu2+ concentrations in the soil could potentially have this effect and the consequences need exploration.

KW - Community Structure

KW - Heavy Metals

KW - Sequencing

KW - Soil Ecology

KW - Soil Protozoa

U2 - 10.1016/j.protis.2024.126016

DO - 10.1016/j.protis.2024.126016

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 38350284

AN - SCOPUS:85185318465

VL - 175

JO - Protist

JF - Protist

SN - 1434-4610

IS - 2

M1 - 126016

ER -