The vertical partitioning between denitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium of coastal mangrove sediment microbiomes.

ABSTRACT

Mangrove aquatic ecosystems receive substantial nitrogen (N) inputs from both land and sea, playing critical roles in modulating coastal N fluxes. The microbially-mediated competition between denitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) in mangrove sediments significantly impacts the N fate and transformation processes. Despite their recognized role in N loss or retention in surface sediments, how these two processes vary with sediment depths and their influential factors remain elusive. Here, we employed a comprehensive approach combining 15N isotope tracer, quantitative PCR (qPCR) and metagenomics to verify the vertical dynamics of denitrification and DNRA across five 100-cm mangrove sediment cores. Our results revealed a clear vertical partitioning, with denitrification dominated in 0-30 cm sediments, while DNRA played a greater role with increasing depths. Quantification of denitrification and DNRA functional genes further explained this phenomenon. Taxonomic analysis identified Pseudomonadota as the primary denitrification group, while Planctomycetota and Pseudomonadota exhibited high proportion in DNRA group. Furthermore, genome-resolved metagenomics revealed multiple salt-tolerance strategies and aromatic compound utilization potential in denitrification assemblages. This allowed denitrification to dominate in oxygen-fluctuating and higher-salinity surface sediments. However, the elevated C/N in anaerobic deep sediments favored DNRA, tending to generate biologically available NH4+. Together, our results uncover the depth-related variations in the microbially-mediated competition between denitrification and DNRA, regulating N dynamics in mangrove ecosystems.