Lifestyle preferences drive the structure and diversity of bacterial and archaeal communities in a small riverine reservoir

Spatial heterogeneity along river networks is interrupted by dams, affecting the transport, processing, and storage of organic matter, as well as the distribution of biota. We here investigated the structure of planktonic (free-living, FL), particle-attached (PA) and sediment-associated (SD) bacterial and archaeal communities within a small reservoir. We combined targeted-amplicon sequencing of bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA genes in the DNA and RNA community fractions from FL, PA and SD, followed by imputed functional metagenomics, in order to unveil differences in their potential metabolic capabilities within the reservoir (tail, mid, and dam sections) and lifestyles (FL, PA, SD). Both bacterial and archaeal communities were structured according to their life-style preferences rather than to their location in the reservoir. Bacterial communities were richer and more diverse when attached to particles or inhabiting the sediment, while Archaea showed an opposing trend. Differences between PA and FL bacterial communities were consistent at functional level, the PA community showing higher potential capacity to degrade complex carbohydrates, aromatic compounds, and proteinaceous materials. Our results stressed that particle-attached prokaryotes were phylogenetically and metabolically distinct from their free-living counterparts, and that performed as hotspots for organic matter processing within the small reservoir.