Differences of Nitrogen Transformation Pathways and Their Functional Microorganisms in Water and Sediment of a Seasonally Frozen Lake, China

Nitrogen is one of the most important elements involved in ecosystem biogeochemical cycling. However, little known about characteristics nitrogen cycling during ice-covered period seasonally frozen lakes. In this study, shotgun metagenomic sequencing subglacial water and sediment from Lake Ulansuhai was performed to identify compare metabolism pathways microbes these pathways. total, ammonia assimilation prominent transformation pathway, Bacteria Proteobacteria (at domain phylum levels, respectively) were abundant portion microorganisms metabolism. Gene sequences devoted fixation, nitrification, denitrification, dissimilatory nitrate reduction ammonium, significantly higher than surface subsurface water. addition, 15 biomarkers nitrogen-converting microorganisms, such as Ciliophora Synergistetes, showed significant variation between sampling levels. The findings present study improve our understanding cycle