Metagenomic analysis reveals diverse microbial community and potential functional roles in Baner rivulet, India.

Background: The health index of any population is directly correlated with the water quality, which in turn depends upon physicochemical characteristics and the microbiome of that aquatic source. For maintaining the water quality, knowledge of microbial diversity is a must. The present investigation attempts to evaluate the microflora of Baner. Metagenomics has been proven to be the technique for examining the genetic diversity of unculturable microbiota without using traditional culturing techniques. The microbial profile of Baner is analyzed using metagenomics for the first time to the best of our knowledge.

Results: To explore the microbial diversity of Baner, metagenomics analysis from 3 different sites was done. Data analysis identified 29 phyla, 62 classes, 131 orders, 268 families, and 741 genera. Proteobacteria was found to be the most abundant phylum in all the sampling sites, with the highest abundance at S₃ sampling site (94%). Bacteroidetes phylum was found to be second abundant in S₁ and S₂ site, whereas Actinobacteria was second dominant in sampling site S₃. Enterobacteriaceae family was dominant in site S1, whereas Comamonadaceae and Pseudomonadaceae was abundant in sites S₂ and S₃ respectively. The Baner possesses an abundant bacterial profile that holds great promise for developing bioremediation tactics against a variety of harmful substances.

Conclusion: Baner river's metagenomic analysis offers the first insight into the microbial profile of this hilly stream. Proteobacteria was found to be the most abundant phylum in all the sampling sites indicating anthropogenic interference and sewage contamination. The highest abundance of proteobacteria at S₃ reveals it to be the most polluted site, as it is the last sampling site downstream of the area under investigation, and falls after crossing the main city, so more human intervention and pollution were observed. Despite some pathogens, a rich profile of bacteria involved in bioremediation, xenobiotic degradation, and beneficial fish probiotics was observed, reflecting their potential applications for improving water quality and establishing a healthy aquaculture and fishery section.