Nitrous oxide reductase gene (nosZ) and N_2O reduction along the littoral gradient of a eutrophic freshwater lake

Lake littoral zones are characterized by heterogeneity in the biogeochemistry of nutrient elements. This study aimed to explore the relationship between the nitrous oxide reductase gene （nosZ）-encoding denitrifier community composition/abundance and N2O reduction. Five samples （deep sediment, near-transition sediment, transition site, near-transition land and land soil） were collected along a littoral gradient of eutrophic Baiyangdian Lake, North China. To investigate the relationship between the nosZ-encoding denitrifier community structure and N20 reduction, the nosZ-encoding denitrifier community composition/abundance, potential denitrification rate （DNR） and potential N20 production rate （pN20） were investigated using molecular biological technologies and laboratory incubation experiments. The results showed that the average DNR of sediments was about 25 times higher than that of land soils, reaching 282.5 nmol N/（g dry weight （dw）.hr） and that the average pN20 of sediments was about 3.5 times higher than that of land soils, reaching 15.7 nmol N/（g dw-hr）. In the land area, the nosZ gene abundance showed a negative correlation with the N20/（N20＋N2） ratio, indicating that nosZ gene abundance dominated N20 reduction both in the surface soils of the land area and in the soil core of the transition site. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all the nosZ sequences recovered from sediment clustered closely with the isolates Azospirillum largimobile and Azospirillum irakense affiliated to Rhodospirillaceae in alpha-Proteobacteria, while about 92.3% （12/13） of the nosZ sequences recovered from land soil affiliated to Rhizobiaceae and Bradyrhizobiaceae in a-Proteobacteria. The community composition of nosZ gene-encoding denitrifiers appeared to be coupled with N20 reduction along the littoral gradient.