The Evaluation of Bacterial Abundance and Functional Potentials in the Three Major Watersheds, Located in the Hot Spring Zone of the Tatun Volcano Group Basin, Taiwan

Abstract

The Tatun Volcanic Group (TVG), located in northern Taiwan, is characterized by acidic hot springs where the outflow of the hot springs may affect the properties of the associated lotic water bodies. We investigated the bacterial diversity and functional profiles of the Peihuang (PHC), HuangGang (HGC), and Nanhuang Creeks (NHC) located in the TVG basin using 16S rRNA gene sequencing coupled with statistical analyses. Water samples were collected from various streams of the creeks for two months of the year. The NHC showed the highest diversity, richness, and a unique number of phyla, which was followed by the HGC. A reduced number of phyla and a lower diversity was noticed in the PHC. The NHC was found to be abundant in the genera Armatimonas, Prosthecobacter, Pirellula, and Bdellovibrio, whereas the HGC was rich in Thiomonas, Acidiphilium, Prevotella, Acidocella, Acidithiobacillus, and Metallibacterium. The PHC was abundant in Thiomonsa, Legionella, Acidocella, and Sulfuriferula. The samples did not show any strong seasonal variations with the bacterial diversity and abundance; however, the relative abundance of each sampling site varied within the sampling months. The iron transport protein- and the sulfur metabolism-related pathways were predicted to be the key functions in all the creeks, whereas the heavy metal-related functions, such as the cobalt/nickel transport protein and the cobalt–zinc–cadmium efflux system were found to be abundant in the HGC and PHC, respectively. The abundance of Bdellovibrio in the NHC, Diplorickettsia in the HGC, and Legionella in the PHC samples indicated a higher anthropogenic impact over the creek water quality. This study provides the data to understand the distinct bacterial community structure, as well as the functional potentials of the three major watersheds, and helps the knowledge of the impact of the physicochemical properties of the TVG hot springs upon the watersheds.

Toxicity evaluation of a heavy‐metal‐polluted river: Pollution identification and bacterial community assessment

“…They are also involved in different metabolic reactions (Chen et al, 2019). Researchers indicate that Proteobacteria were the ample phylum in sediments from several Taiwan rivers (Hung et al, 2021(Hung et al, , 2022Nagarajan et al, 2022;Ottoni et al, 2022). They could reproduce in heavy-metal-polluted environments and become governing bacteria (Hung et al, 2022;Nagarajan et al, 2022).…”

Influence of Geothermal Fumaroles in Driving the Microbial Community Dynamics and Functions of Adjacent Ecosystems

“…In addition, it is classified as a low boron (B) content thermal water group due to the mixing of rainwater with thermal water [23]. Previously, studies have explored the microbial composition of water bodies and creeks [27,28] within the TVG basin. Notably, the water samples of Huang Gang Creek within the TVG basin exhibit a higher abundance of Acidophilic sulfur-oxidizing bacterial communities, such as Alicyclobacillus, Acidithiobacillus, and Acidiphilium [28].…”

“…Recently, modern molecular technologies, such as highthroughput sequencing and advanced bioinformatics, which have revolutionized our ability to gain insights into the diverse array of microbes thriving in versatile environments, including fumarolic geothermal fields [27][28][29][30][31][32]. Utilizing these robust and reliable technologies is crucial for enhancing our understanding of the potential impact of harsh environments on microbial communities and their functions in adjacent habitats.…”