Authors: Lalit Kumar Sen, Madhvi Chourasiya
Abstract: Soil contamination by heavy metals, pesticides, hydrocarbons, and industrial pollutants disrupts microbial ecology, affecting soil health and plant productivity. Metatranscriptomics, the large-scale sequencing of environmental RNA, offers an advanced approach to decipher real-time microbial responses to such stressors. This study investigates the functional gene expression profiles of soil microbiomes under contaminant stress using metatranscriptomic analysis. By examining transcripts linked to oxidative stress, metal resistance, and pollutant degradation, we identify key microbial pathways that mediate adaptation and survival. Our findings highlight the upregulation of genes involved in efflux pumps, antioxidative enzymes like catalases and peroxidases, and biodegradative enzymes including monooxygenases and dioxygenases. Community-level expression patterns reveal taxonomic shifts favoring resilient genera such as Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, and Rhodococcus. The data suggest that contaminated environments exert strong selective pressures, driving microbial communities toward functional redundancy and niche specialization. This study underscores the potential of metatranscriptomics as a tool to monitor ecological risk, assess bioremediation capacity, and develop precision strategies for soil restoration. Our work provides a foundational framework for future research aiming to optimize microbial functions for environmental detoxification and sustainable land management.
DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16870960
