Identification of Habitat-Specific Biomes of Aquatic Fungal Communities Using a Comprehensive Nearly Full-Length 18S rRNA Dataset Enriched with Contextual Data
Molecular diversity surveys have demonstrated that aquatic fungi are highly diverse, and that they play fundamental ecological roles in aquatic systems. Unfortunately, comparative studies of aquatic fungal communities are few and far between, due to the scarcity of adequate datasets. We combined all publicly available fungal 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequences with new sequence data from a marine fungi culture collection. We further enriched this dataset by adding validated contextual data. Specifically, we included data on the habitat type of the samples assigning fungal taxa to ten different habitat categories. This dataset has been created with the intention to serve as a valuable reference dataset for aquatic fungi including a phylogenetic reference tree. The combined data enabled us to infer fungal community patterns in aquatic systems. Pairwise habitat comparisons showed significant phylogenetic differences, indicating that habitat strongly affects fungal community structure. Fungal taxonomic composition differed considerably even on phylum and class level. Freshwater fungal assemblage was most different from all other habitat types and was dominated by basal fungal lineages. For most communities, phylogenetic signals indicated clustering of sequences suggesting that environmental factors were the main drivers of fungal community structure, rather than species competition. Thus, the diversification process of aquatic fungi must be highly clade specific in some cases.The combined data enabled us to infer fungal community patterns in aquatic systems. Pairwise habitat comparisons showed significant phylogenetic differences, indicating that habitat strongly affects fungal community structure. Fungal taxonomic composition differed considerably even on phylum and class level. Freshwater fungal assemblage was most different from all other habitat types and was dominated by basal fungal lineages. For most communities, phylogenetic signals indicated clustering of sequences suggesting that environmental factors were the main drivers of fungal community structure, rather than species competition. Thus, the diversification process of aquatic fungi must be highly clade specific in some cases.
University of Bremen, Molecular Ecology, FB2, Leobener Str. 2, 28359, Bremen, Germany;Jacobs University Bremen gGmbH, Department of Life Sciences and Chemistry, Campusring 1, 28759, Bremen, Germany;Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Microbial Genomics and Bioinformatics Research Group, Celsiusstr.1, 28359, Bremen, Germany;University of Tübingen, Department of Biology, Auf der Morgenstelle 1, 72076 Tübingen, Germany;Potsdam Transfer, August-Bebel-Straße 89, Haus 7, 14482, Potsdam, Germany;Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Microbial Genomics and Bioinformatics Research Group, Celsiusstr.1, 28359, Bremen, Germany;GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Marine Microbiology, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105, Kiel, Germany;GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Marine Microbiology, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105, Kiel, Germany;GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Marine Microbiology, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105, Kiel, Germany;GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Marine Microbiology, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105, Kiel, Germany;Jacobs University Bremen gGmbH, Department of Life Sciences and Chemistry, Campusring 1, 28759, Bremen, Germany;Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Microbial Genomics and Bioinformatics Research Group, Celsiusstr.1, 28359, Bremen, Germany;University of Bremen, Molecular Ecology, FB2, Leobener Str. 2, 28359, Bremen, Germany
Recommended Citation:
Katrin Panzer,Pelin Yilmaz,Michael Weiß,et al. Identification of Habitat-Specific Biomes of Aquatic Fungal Communities Using a Comprehensive Nearly Full-Length 18S rRNA Dataset Enriched with Contextual Data[J]. PLOS ONE,2015-01-01,10(7)