Antibiotic resistance genes and taxa analysis from mat and planktonic microbiomes of Antarctic perennial ice-covered Lake Fryxell and Lake Bonney

Abstract The perennial ice-covered lakes of the Antarctic McMurdo Dry Valleys harbour oligotrophic microbial communities that are separated geographically from other aquatic systems. Their microbiomes include planktonic microbes as well lift-off mat emerge ice. We used ShortBRED protein family profiler to quantify antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) metagenomes mats emerging ice and filtered water samples Lake Fryxell Bonney. overall proportion ARG hits was similar found in temperate-zone rural ponds with moderate human inputs. Specific ARGs showed distinct distributions for two vs sources. Metagenomic taxa phototrophs consisted mainly cyanobacteria or Betaproteobacteria, whereas column were protists. An enrichment culture Betaproteobacterium Rhodoferax antarcticus a sample an unusual mat-forming phenotype not previously reported this species. Its genome no associated Betaproteobacteria but had consistent minor Pseudomonas component. lake specific distinctive sources, levels those temperate bodies