Authors: Elisa Laiolo, Intikhab Alam, Mahmut Uludag, Tahira Jamil, Susana Agusti, Takashi Gojobori, Silvia G. Acinas, Josep M. Gasol, and Carlos M. Duarte
Journal: Frontiers in Science
The global ocean genome (the pool of genes in marine organisms and the functional information they encode) is a major, untapped resource for science and society with a growing range of biotechnology applications in sectors such as biomedicine, energy, and food. Shotgun sequencing and metagenomics can now be used to catalog the diversity of ocean microbial life and to explore its functional potential, but has been limited by sample coverage, access to suitable sequencing platforms, and computational capacity. Here we provide a novel synthesis of the global ocean genome based on analysis of 2,102 sampled ocean metagenomes, with gene assembly and annotation via the KAUST Metagenome Analysis Platform (KMAP) Global Ocean Gene Catalog 1.0 containing ~317.5 million gene clusters. Taxonomically, we report the distribution of marine genes across the tree of life and different ocean basins and depth zone biomes. Functionally, we map its relationship to protein families and biogeochemical processes, including the major microbial metabolic pathways that process three elements that play fundamental roles in biogeochemical cycles and are relevant to climate change. These data extend our understanding of the complex, dynamic nature of the ocean microbiome and its metabolic capabilities. Further research is of critical global importance both to unlock the potential of the ocean genome and to understand and predict the effects of human-induced changes, including pollution and climate change. Further hypothesis-driven research should target under-sampled deep sea and benthic microbial communities using enhanced metagenomic methods, to better understand marine ecosystem functioning. Investment in the necessary computational capacity is essential, as are suitable intellectual property frameworks.
全球海洋基因组（海洋生物的基因库及其编码的功能信息）是科学和社会尚未充分开发的重要资源，生物技术在生物医学、能源和食品等领域的应用越来越广泛。目前，鸟枪测序和宏基因组技术已被用于编目海洋微生物生命的多样性，并探索其功能潜力，但受到样本覆盖范围、合适的测序平台获取以及计算能力的限制。本文基于对2102个海洋宏基因组样本的分析，通过KAUST宏基因组分析平台（KAUST Metagenome Analysis Platform, KMAP）全球海洋基因目录1.0（包含约3.175亿个基因簇）进行基因组装和注释，提出了一种新的全球海洋基因组合成方法。在分类学角度，本文报告了海洋基因在生命之树以及不同海盆和深度区域生物群落中的分布。在功能层面，本文描绘了海洋基因与蛋白家族和生物地球化学过程的关系，包括处理生物地球化学循环中起基础作用并与气候变化相关的三种元素的主要微生物代谢途径。这些数据加深了我们对海洋微生物组复杂性和动态性及其代谢能力的理解。进一步的研究对于挖掘海洋基因组的潜力、理解和预测人类活动引起的变化（包括污染与气候变化）的影响具有全球性的重要意义。进一步的假设驱动研究应当针对采样不足的深海和底栖微生物群落，采用增强的宏基因组方法，以更好地理解海洋生态系统的功能。投资必要的计算能力、建立合适的知识产权框架是必不可少的。
（实习生荣佳琦编译）
