BactoTraits: a trait database for exploring functional diversity of bacterial communities

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Ecology
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Biological assemblages are influenced by abiotic/biotic factors, necessitating a deeper understanding of these interactions.
• Organisms constantly interact with their environment and each other, shaping community structure and function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present an updated and expanded bacterial functional traits dataset (BactoTraits) with associated R scripts.
• To provide a resource for inferring bacterial community trait profiles and improving ecological predictions.

Main Methods:

• Compiled a comprehensive dataset of 31 bacterial functional traits from BacDive, rrnDB, and genomesizeR databases.
• Utilized taxonomic affiliation from 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and the SILVA database for community-level trait analysis.
• Developed R scripts to facilitate data accessibility and application by the scientific community.

Main Results:

• The BactoTraits dataset now includes 97,721 bacterial strains with at least one described functional trait.
• Traits encompass physiological, metabolic, genomic, and biotope characteristics.
• The dataset enables the study of weighted mean trait profiles at various taxonomic levels.

Conclusions:

• BactoTraits offers a valuable resource for ecological research, biomonitoring, and conservation.
• The dataset and scripts can enhance predictions of bacterial community responses to environmental pressures.
• Facilitates a better understanding of the functional structure and composition of bacterial assemblages.