Distinct genes and microbial communities involved in nitrogen cycling between monsoon- and westerlies-dominated Tibetan glaciers

2025/07/01 by Zhihao Zhang, Yongqin Liu, Weishu Zhao +5 · 1 voice · 1 citation
Chemistry · Earth and Planetary Sciences · Environmental Science · #Biology #Chemistry #Climatology #Cycling #Ecology #Environmental science #Geography #Geology #Geology and Paleoclimatology Research #Glacier #Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology #Monsoon #Nitrogen #Nitrogen cycle #Physical geography #Polar Research and Ecology #Westerlies

paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/s41467-025-61002-x

openalex publication_date 2025/07/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23

Abstract

The Tibetan Plateau (TP) glaciers are influenced by monsoon and westerlies. They are highly sensitive to climate change, with atmospheric nitrogen deposition significantly impacting microbial communities and functions. However, key uncertainties persist regarding biogeography and drivers of genes and microbial communities involved in nitrogen cycling. Here, we investigate the diversity and transcriptional activity of microbial communities and nitrogen-cycling genes using 85 metagenomes and 28 metatranscriptomes from the ablation zone of 21 TP glaciers. Our results show that over 90% of the glacial taxa possess the potential for nitrogen metabolism, with ~33% exhibiting transcriptional activity. Moreover, monsoon-dominated glaciers present greater microbial diversity and higher prevalence of nitrogen-fixing genes than westerlies-dominated glaciers, linked to higher temperatures. Comparatively, the latter show elevated genomic potential for nitrous oxide emissions, likely due to higher nitrate concentrations. These findings establish temperature-nitrogen co-regulation of microbial nitrogen transformations, critical for predicting climate feedback in the extreme environment. Microbial nitrogen cycling on Tibetan Plateau glacier surfaces remains poorly understood. This study reveals over 90% taxa possess nitrogen metabolic potential (33% transcriptionally active), with temperature-nitrogen co-regulation identified.

Citations

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Discussions

• ❄️ Tibet’s glaciers are home to a wide variety of microorganisms that shape this extreme ecosystem. New findings say that: 👉Over 90% of their microbes can transform nitrogen 👉Wind patterns determin [bsky, 0 points, 0 comments]

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