Purpose: To employ next-generation sequencing (NGS) to investigate the diversity of microorganisms
and pathogenic bacteria from a water source in Tai Lake, China, in winter.
Methods: Water samples from the same source were collected over a period of 3 months (December
2013 to February 2014), and their physicochemical characteristics were determined. The DNA of the
samples were extracted and amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The PCR products were
sequenced by Miseq PE300 pyro sequencing platform. The
results for 16S rDNA were analysed using
visualization software Gephi, and the 16S rDNA gene pool of known pathogenic bacteria was
established.
Results: A total of 144,292 16S rDNA gene sequences were obtained and ranked by RDP classifier.
The average length of the sequences was 395.66 bp. They revealed 580 operational taxonomic units
(OTUs) classified into 16 phyla. A full length of 16S rDNA gene database of common pathogenic
bacteria was established. After blasting, 17 species of pathogenic bacteria were found. The most
abundant potential human pathogenic bacteria were affiliated to
B. tribocorum
. Most environmental
factors had significant impact on pathogenic bacteria.
Conclusion: These results indicate that NGS can be used for the simultaneous detection of most
recognized water-borne pathogenic bacteria. Variations in microorganisms in water
