Soil microorganisms require metabolic strategies to cope with the significant variations in oxygen availability that occur in soil over a range of time scales. Characterised ammonia-oxidisers within Thaumarchaeota Groups 1.1a and 1.1b are aerobic, but the oxygen preference and metabolic potential of deeply-rooted Thaumarchaeota remain unknown, with several studies providing evidence for both aerobic and anaerobic metabolisms. This study therefore aimed to determine the influence of oxygen on the mesophilic Group 1.1c and Group 1.3 thaumarchaeotal community in controlled microcosm experiments conducted using oxic and anoxic Scottish pine forest soils, incubated under oxic or anoxic conditions. While we expected more anaerobic growth metabolism in those peatland soils, we demonstrated growth of multiple aerobic clusters within Group 1.1c Thaumarchaeota and anaerobic growth within Group 1.3 Thaumarchaeota. These findings extend our understanding of the physiology of deeply-rooted mesophilic Thaumarchaeota and provide the first detailed qualitative and quantitative assessment of their growth in soil.

土壤微生物需要代谢策略来应对在一定时间范围内发生在土壤中的氧气供应的显着变化。Thaumarchaeota 1.1a和1.1b组中表征的氨氧化剂是需氧的，但是根深蒂根的Thaumarchaeota的氧偏爱和代谢潜能仍然未知，多项研究为有氧和厌氧代谢提供了证据。因此，本研究旨在确定在有氧和无氧苏格兰松林土壤中，在有氧或无氧条件下培养的受控微观实验中，氧对中温1.1c组和1.3群拟潮丘脑群落的影响。尽管我们预计在这些泥炭地土壤中会有更多的厌氧生长代谢，但我们证明了第1组中多个好氧簇的生长。1c Thaumarchaeota和1.3类Thaumarchaeota中的厌氧生长。这些发现扩展了我们对根深蒂固的嗜温古菌的生理的理解，并提供了对其在土壤中生长的第一个详细的定性和定量评估。