Microorganisms interact in complex communities, affecting microbially-mediated processes in the environment. Particularly, aerobic methanotrophs showed significantly stimulated growth and activity in the presence of accompanying microorganisms in an interaction network (interactome). Yet, little is known of how the interactome responds to disturbances, and how community functioning is affected by the disturbance-induced structuring of the interaction network. Here, we employed a time-series stable isotope probing (SIP) approach using ¹³C–CH₄ coupled to a co-occurrence network analysis after Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the ¹³C-enriched 16S rRNA gene to directly relate the response in methanotrophic activity to the network structure of the interactome after desiccation-rewetting of a paddy soil. Methane uptake rate decreased immediately (<5 days) after short-term desiccation-rewetting. Although the methanotroph subgroups differentially responded to desiccation-rewetting, the metabolically active bacterial community composition, including the methanotrophs, recovered after the disturbance. However, the interaction network was profoundly altered, becoming more complex but, less modular after desiccation-rewetting, despite the recovery in the methanotrophic activity and community composition/abundances. This suggests that the legacy of the disturbance persists in the interaction network. The change in the network structure may have consequences for community functioning with recurring desiccation-rewetting.

微生物在复杂的社区中相互作用，从而影响环境中微生物介导的过程。尤其是，好氧甲烷菌在相互作用网络（interactome）中在伴随微生物的存在下显示出明显刺激的生长和活性。然而，人们对相互作用组如何对干扰作出反应以及社区功能如何受到干扰诱导的相互作用网络结构的影响知之甚少。在这里，我们采用了¹³ C–CH ₄的时间序列稳定同位素探测（SIP）方法，并在^13的Illumina MiSeq测序后与共现网络分析相结合富含C的16S rRNA基因可将甲烷营养活动的响应直接与水稻土壤干湿润后相互作用组的网络结构相关。短期干燥后，甲烷吸收率立即下降（<5天）。尽管甲烷营养菌亚组对脱水再润湿的反应不同，但代谢活性细菌群落组成（包括甲烷营养菌）在干扰后恢复。然而，尽管甲烷营养活动和群落组成/丰度有所恢复，但相互作用网络发生了深刻的变化，变得更加复杂，但在干湿复湿后模块性降低。这表明干扰的遗产在交互网络中仍然存在。