Keystone Taxa and Predictive Functional Analysis of Sphagnum palustre Tank Microbiomes in Erxianyan Peatland, Central China

Simple Summary Deciphering the relationship between microbiome of keystone species Sphagnum palustre and potential function in the Erxianyan peatland ecosystems is important in the context of global peatland degradation. We evaluated the S. palustre tank microbiome and predicted the potential ecological functions. In total, 38 phyla, 55 classes, 122 orders and 490 genera were detected. Proteobacteria and Firmicutes are the dominant endophytes in S. palustre. Core microbiomes are mainly found in 7 phyla, 9 classes, 15 orders, 22 families and 42 genera. Functions predictive of microbial communities are involved in nitrogen fixation, carbon cycle, nitrate metabolism, sulfate respiration and chitinolysis, which may enable the Sphagnum to adapt to harsh environmental conditions. This study provides new insights into the relationship between Sphagnum-associated microbiomes and their potential ecological functions in subalpine peatlands. Sphagnum is a fundamental ecosystem of engineers, including more than 300 species around the world. These species host diverse microbes, either endosymbiotic or ectosymbiotic, and are key to carbon sequestration in peatland ecosystems. However, the linkages between different types of Sphagnum and the diversity and ecological functions of Sphagnum-associated microbiomes are poorly known, and so are their joint responses to ecological functions. Here, we systematically investigated endophytes in Sphagnum palustre via next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques in the Erxianyan peatland, central China. The total bacterial microbiome was classified into 38 phyla and 55 classes, 122 orders and 490 genera. The top 8 phyla of Proteobacteria (33.69%), Firmicutes (11.94%), Bacteroidetes (9.42%), Actinobacteria (6.53%), Planctomycetes (6.37%), Gemmatimonadetes (3.05%), Acidobacteria (5.59%) and Cyanobacteria (1.71%) occupied 78.31% of total OTUs. The core microbiome of S. palustre was mainly distributed mainly in 7 phyla, 9 classes, 15 orders, 22 families and 43 known genera. There were many differences in core microbiomes compared to those in the common higher plants. We further demonstrate that the abundant functional groups have a substantial potential for nitrogen fixation, carbon cycle, nitrate metabolism, sulfate respiration and chitinolysis. These results indicate that potential ecological function of Sphagnum palustre in peatlands is partially rooted in its microbiomes, and that incorporating into functional groups of Sphagnum-associated microbiomes can promote mechanistic understanding of Sphagnum ecology in subalpine peatlands.