To get a better understanding of the microbial autotrophic carbon sequestration potential of paddy fields and its mechanisms, soil incubation experiment was conducted for four representative paddy soils. The molecular biological methods[quantitative PCR (qPCR), clone library and terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) technique] based on cbbL and cbbM genes encoding the key enzymes[ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO)] of Calvin cycle were used to determine the abundance and diversity of autotrophic microbes. The results showed that, after 45 days of incubation, carbon dioxide fixation autotrophic microbial abundances were generally increased compared with those before incubation, and cbbL gene abundances were approximately three magnitudes higher than those of cbbM. Dominant microbial populations varied among the four paddy soils, and most of these OTUs were distantly related to known sequences, only part of them could be grouped into Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria. RDA analysis results showed that soil organic carbon (SOC), cation exchange capacity (CEC), pH, clay, silk and sand content had significant effects on the CO2 fixation microbial community. Consequently, the results of this study provide significant reference to understand the role of microorganisms in carbon cycle process. The results are helpful for providing a scientific basis for scientific management of paddy soil fertility and low carbon agriculture construction.
Keywords: carbon dioxide fixation autotrophic microbes; cbbL; cbbM; community structure; paddy soil.