Abitibi_Lakes_Metagenomes Metagenome. Abitibi_Lakes_Metagenomes

In this study, we examined adaptive signatures within natural lacustrine microbial communities living under a gradient of selective pressure induced by trace metal contamination from over 60 years of mining. Using a metagenomic approach based on whole genome shotgun sequencing, we identified a convergence in both taxonomic and function responses, thus providing evidence for genotypic signatures of adaptive evolution. Strong selective pressure may drive overall taxon-function decoupling, which may reflect the occurrence of gene loss and Horizontal Gene Transfer (HGT) induced by AMD gradient, or the result of intense selection exerted on existing strains possessing the necessary resistance genetic background.