Land use types as an ecological driver: Unravelling the microbial genomic adaptations to PTEs in super-large Sb...

The mining of antimony (Sb)-rich deposits, which contain high levels of Sb-dominated potentially toxic elements (PTEs), poses serious environmental threats to ecosystems and human health. However, the impact of PTEs on soil microbial communities across different land use types (LUTs) and the underlying interaction mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study explored how LUTs (slag areas (SL), ore yards (OS), and vegetable fields (FA)) drove microbial genomic adaptations to PTEs in the Xiangzhong super-large Sb ore belt in China. The results showed that severe PTEs contamination (Sb, As, Hg, Pb), with enrichment factors highest in SL (Sb-EF_avg = 1310) and lowest in FA (Sb-EF_avg = 55.6). Microbial α-diversity increased with decreasing PTE levels (FA > OS > SL), while β-diversity clustered by LUTs. Pseudomonadota dominated across LUTs and harbored key Sb-resistance genes (aioA, aoxB, acr3), and mediated the Sb biogeochemical cycling through detoxification mechanisms such as oxidation detoxification-efflux coupled nitrogen fixation or carbon fixation, thereby driving the succession of microbial community structure in Sb mining area soils. Keystone taxa, including Sphingomonas, Pseudomonas, and Bradyrhizobium, were strongly correlated with mining-derived PTEs (Sb, As, Pb). Random forest analysis identified Sb, Cu, and Zn as the primary drivers of microbial diversity loss. Overall, this study demonstrated that LUTs and PTEs co-stress collectively shaped microbial community structure and functional gene profiles, offering crucial insights for developing bioremediation strategies in Sb-mining ecosystems.