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Wu S, Qu Z, Chen D, Wu H, Caiyin Q, Qiao J. Deciphering and designing microbial communities by genome-scale metabolic modelling. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:1990-2000. [PMID: 38765607 PMCID: PMC11098673 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2024.04.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2024] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbial communities are shaped by the complex interactions among organisms and the environment. Genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs) can provide deeper insights into the complexity and ecological properties of various microbial communities, revealing their intricate interactions. Many researchers have modified GEMs for the microbial communities based on specific needs. Thus, GEMs need to be comprehensively summarized to better understand the trends in their development. In this review, we summarized the key developments in deciphering and designing microbial communities using different GEMs. A timeline of selected highlights in GEMs indicated that this area is evolving from the single-strain level to the microbial community level. Then, we outlined a framework for constructing GEMs of microbial communities. We also summarized the models and resources of static and dynamic community-level GEMs. We focused on the role of external environmental and intracellular resources in shaping the assembly of microbial communities. Finally, we discussed the key challenges and future directions of GEMs, focusing on the integration of GEMs with quorum sensing mechanisms, microbial ecology interactions, machine learning algorithms, and automatic modeling, all of which contribute to consortia-based applications in different fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengbo Wu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Zhejiang Shaoxing Research Institute of Tianjin University, Shaoxing 312300, China
| | - Zheping Qu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Danlei Chen
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Zhejiang Shaoxing Research Institute of Tianjin University, Shaoxing 312300, China
| | - Hao Wu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Zhejiang Shaoxing Research Institute of Tianjin University, Shaoxing 312300, China
| | - Qinggele Caiyin
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Zhejiang Shaoxing Research Institute of Tianjin University, Shaoxing 312300, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education (Tianjin University), Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Jianjun Qiao
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Zhejiang Shaoxing Research Institute of Tianjin University, Shaoxing 312300, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education (Tianjin University), Tianjin 300072, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
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2
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Mafune KK, Kasson MT, Winkler MKH. Building blocks toward sustainable biofertilizers: variation in arbuscular mycorrhizal spore germination when immobilized with diazotrophic bacteria in biodegradable hydrogel beads. J Appl Microbiol 2024; 135:lxae167. [PMID: 38960411 DOI: 10.1093/jambio/lxae167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
AIM We investigated whether there was interspecies and intraspecies variation in spore germination of 12 strains of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi when co-entrapped with the diazotrophic plant growth-promoting bacteria, Azospirillum brasilense Sp7 in alginate hydrogel beads. METHODS AND RESULTS Twelve Rhizophagus irregularis, Rhizophagus intraradices, and Funneliformis mosseae strains were separately combined with a live culture of Azospirillum brasilense Sp7. Each fungal-bacterial consortia was supplemented with sodium alginate to a 2% concentration (v/v) and cross-linked in calcium chloride (2% w/v) to form biodegradable hydrogel beads. One hundred beads from each combination (total of 1200) were fixed in solidified modified Strullu and Romand media. Beads were observed for successful spore germination and bacterial growth over 14 days. In all cases, successful growth of A. brasilense was observed. For arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, interspecies variation in spore germination was observed, with R. intraradices having the highest germination rate (64.3%), followed by R. irregularis (45.5%) and F. mosseae (40.3%). However, a difference in intraspecies germination was only observed among strains of R. irregularis and F. mosseae. Despite having varying levels of germination, even the strains with the lowest potential were still able to establish with the plant host Brachypodium distachyon in a model system. CONCLUSIONS Arbuscular mycorrhizal spore germination varied across strains when co-entrapped with a diazotrophic plant growth-promoting bacteria. This demonstrates that hydrogel beads containing a mixed consortium hold potential as a sustainable biofertilizer and that compatibility tests remain an important building block when aiming to create a hydrogel biofertilizer that encases a diversity of bacteria and fungi. Moving forward, further studies should be conducted to test the efficacy of these hydrogel biofertilizers on different crops across varying climatic conditions in order to optimize their potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Korena K Mafune
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, United States
| | - Matt T Kasson
- Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, United States
| | - Mari-Karoliina H Winkler
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, United States
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3
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Chen M, Acharya SM, Yee MO, Cabugao KGM, Chakraborty R. Developing stable, simplified, functional consortia from Brachypodium rhizosphere for microbial application in sustainable agriculture. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1401794. [PMID: 38846575 PMCID: PMC11153752 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1401794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The rhizosphere microbiome plays a crucial role in supporting plant productivity and ecosystem functioning by regulating nutrient cycling, soil integrity, and carbon storage. However, deciphering the intricate interplay between microbial relationships within the rhizosphere is challenging due to the overwhelming taxonomic and functional diversity. Here we present our systematic design framework built on microbial colocalization and microbial interaction, toward successful assembly of multiple rhizosphere-derived Reduced Complexity Consortia (RCC). We enriched co-localized microbes from Brachypodium roots grown in field soil with carbon substrates mimicking Brachypodium root exudates, generating 768 enrichments. By transferring the enrichments every 3 or 7 days for 10 generations, we developed both fast and slow-growing reduced complexity microbial communities. Most carbon substrates led to highly stable RCC just after a few transfers. 16S rRNA gene amplicon analysis revealed distinct community compositions based on inoculum and carbon source, with complex carbon enriching slow growing yet functionally important soil taxa like Acidobacteria and Verrucomicrobia. Network analysis showed that microbial consortia, whether differentiated by growth rate (fast vs. slow) or by succession (across generations), had significantly different network centralities. Besides, the keystone taxa identified within these networks belong to genera with plant growth-promoting traits, underscoring their critical function in shaping rhizospheric microbiome networks. Furthermore, tested consortia demonstrated high stability and reproducibility, assuring successful revival from glycerol stocks for long-term viability and use. Our study represents a significant step toward developing a framework for assembling rhizosphere consortia based on microbial colocalization and interaction, with future implications for sustainable agriculture and environmental management.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Romy Chakraborty
- Department of Ecology, Earth and Environmental Sciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
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Rodríguez C, Pan D, Natan RG, Mohr MA, Miao M, Chen X, Northen TR, Vogel JP, Ji N. Adaptive optical third-harmonic generation microscopy for in vivo imaging of tissues. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.02.592275. [PMID: 38746456 PMCID: PMC11092640 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.02.592275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Third-harmonic generation microscopy is a powerful label-free nonlinear imaging technique, providing essential information about structural characteristics of cells and tissues without requiring external labelling agents. In this work, we integrated a recently developed compact adaptive optics module into a third-harmonic generation microscope, to measure and correct for optical aberrations in complex tissues. Taking advantage of the high sensitivity of the third-harmonic generation process to material interfaces and thin membranes, along with the 1,300-nm excitation wavelength used here, our adaptive optical third-harmonic generation microscope enabled high-resolution in vivo imaging within highly scattering biological model systems. Examples include imaging of myelinated axons and vascular structures within the mouse spinal cord and deep cortical layers of the mouse brain, along with imaging of key anatomical features in the roots of the model plant Brachypodium distachyon. In all instances, aberration correction led to significant enhancements in image quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Rodríguez
- Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Present address: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Daisong Pan
- Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Ryan G. Natan
- Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Manuel A. Mohr
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Present address: Yale Ventures, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Max Miao
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Xiaoke Chen
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Trent R. Northen
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - John P. Vogel
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Na Ji
- Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
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Bunyavanich S, Becker PM, Altman MC, Lasky-Su J, Ober C, Zengler K, Berdyshev E, Bonneau R, Chatila T, Chatterjee N, Chung KF, Cutcliffe C, Davidson W, Dong G, Fang G, Fulkerson P, Himes BE, Liang L, Mathias RA, Ogino S, Petrosino J, Price ND, Schadt E, Schofield J, Seibold MA, Steen H, Wheatley L, Zhang H, Togias A, Hasegawa K. Analytical challenges in omics research on asthma and allergy: A National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases workshop. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2024; 153:954-968. [PMID: 38295882 PMCID: PMC10999353 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2024.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Studies of asthma and allergy are generating increasing volumes of omics data for analysis and interpretation. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) assembled a workshop comprising investigators studying asthma and allergic diseases using omics approaches, omics investigators from outside the field, and NIAID medical and scientific officers to discuss the following areas in asthma and allergy research: genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, microbiomics, metabolomics, proteomics, lipidomics, integrative omics, systems biology, and causal inference. Current states of the art, present challenges, novel and emerging strategies, and priorities for progress were presented and discussed for each area. This workshop report summarizes the major points and conclusions from this NIAID workshop. As a group, the investigators underscored the imperatives for rigorous analytic frameworks, integration of different omics data types, cross-disciplinary interaction, strategies for overcoming current limitations, and the overarching goal to improve scientific understanding and care of asthma and allergic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Patrice M Becker
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Md
| | | | - Jessica Lasky-Su
- Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass
| | | | | | | | | | - Talal Chatila
- Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass
| | | | | | | | - Wendy Davidson
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Md
| | - Gang Dong
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Md
| | - Gang Fang
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Patricia Fulkerson
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Md
| | | | - Liming Liang
- Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Mass
| | | | - Shuji Ogino
- Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Mass; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Boston, Mass
| | | | | | - Eric Schadt
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | | | - Max A Seibold
- National Jewish Health, Denver, Colo; University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colo
| | - Hanno Steen
- Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass
| | - Lisa Wheatley
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Md
| | - Hongmei Zhang
- School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tenn
| | - Alkis Togias
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Md
| | - Kohei Hasegawa
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass
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Tei M, Soma F, Barbieri E, Uga Y, Kawahito Y. Non-destructive real-time monitoring of underground root development with distributed fiber optic sensing. PLANT METHODS 2024; 20:36. [PMID: 38424594 PMCID: PMC10905790 DOI: 10.1186/s13007-024-01160-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Crop genetic engineering for better root systems can offer practical solutions for food security and carbon sequestration; however, soil layers prevent the direct visualization of plant roots, thus posing a challenge to effective phenotyping. Here, we demonstrate an original device with a distributed fiber-optic sensor for fully automated, real-time monitoring of underground root development. We show that spatially encoding an optical fiber with a flexible and durable polymer film in a spiral pattern can significantly enhance sensor detection. After signal processing, the resulting device can detect the penetration of a submillimeter-diameter object in the soil, indicating more than a magnitude higher spatiotemporal resolution than previously reported with underground monitoring techniques. Additionally, we also developed computational models to visualize the roots of tuber crops and monocotyledons and then applied them to radish and rice to compare the results with those of X-ray computed tomography. The device's groundbreaking sensitivity and spatiotemporal resolution enable seamless and laborless phenotyping of root systems that are otherwise invisible underground.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mika Tei
- Institute of Crop Science, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, 2-1-2 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8518, Japan.
- Research Institute for Value-Added-Information Generation, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, 3173-25 Showa-machi, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 236-0001, Japan.
| | - Fumiyuki Soma
- Institute of Crop Science, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, 2-1-2 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8518, Japan
| | - Ettore Barbieri
- Research Institute for Value-Added-Information Generation, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, 3173-25 Showa-machi, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 236-0001, Japan
- Advanced Institute for Marine Ecosystem Change, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, 2-15 Natsushima, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, 237-0061, Japan
| | - Yusaku Uga
- Institute of Crop Science, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, 2-1-2 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8518, Japan
| | - Yosuke Kawahito
- Research Institute for Value-Added-Information Generation, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, 3173-25 Showa-machi, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 236-0001, Japan
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Pepoyan E, Marotta F, Manvelyan A, Galstyan A, Stepanyan L, Grigoryan H, Grigoryan L, Mikayelyan M, Balayan M, Harutyunyan N, Mirzabekyan S, Tsaturyan V, Torok T, Pepoyan A. Placebo-resistant gut bacteria: Akkermansia muciniphila spp. and Familial Mediterranean fever disease. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1336752. [PMID: 38465231 PMCID: PMC10920240 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1336752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Despite numerous investigations into the impact of drugs/probiotics on the gut microbiota composition in Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) patients, the question as to whether there exists a significant bacterial diversity(ies) independent of the placebo effect that can be reliably considered in clinical and nutritional trials remains unresolved. Methods This study represents the in augural analysis of the placebo's influence on the gut microbiota of both healthy individuals and FMF afflicted men, utilizing previously collected data from PhyloChip™ DNA microarray experiments. A total of 15 healthy and 15 FMF male volunteers, aged 18 to 50, participated in this partially randomized placebo trial, which is accessible through the GEO Series accession number GSE111835. Results and Discussion Key findings from current investigations include i. the anticipated divergence in gut bacteria resistance to placebo between healthy and FMF individuals, ii. the minor impact of placebo on gut bacterial diversities in healthy individuals, with Enterobacteriaceae diversities identified as placebo-resistant among "healthy" gut bacteria, and iii. the comprehensive influence of placebo on all bacterial phyla in the gut microbiome of FMF patients, extending to nearly all bacterial genera, except for the resilience of gut Akkermansia muciniphila spp. to placebo in FMF patients. This study underscores the susceptibility of Faecalibacterium, Blautia, and Clostridium genera to placebo. Consequently, this investigation holds significance for the proper design of placebo-controlled trials and establishes a foundation for further exploration of the gut-brain axis. Furthermore, it contributes valuable insights to discussions regarding proposals for probiotic therapies, particularly focusing on Faecalibacterium spp., Blautia spp., and Clostridium spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elya Pepoyan
- Food Safety and Biotechnology Department, Scientific Research Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology, Armenian National Agrarian University, Yerevan, Armenia
- International Association for Human and Animals Health Improvement, Yerevan, Armenia
- Faculty of Military Medicine, Yerevan State Medical University, Yerevan, Armenia
| | | | - Anahit Manvelyan
- Food Safety and Biotechnology Department, Scientific Research Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology, Armenian National Agrarian University, Yerevan, Armenia
- International Association for Human and Animals Health Improvement, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Artak Galstyan
- Faculty of Military Medicine, Yerevan State Medical University, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Lena Stepanyan
- Food Safety and Biotechnology Department, Scientific Research Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology, Armenian National Agrarian University, Yerevan, Armenia
- International Association for Human and Animals Health Improvement, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Hasmik Grigoryan
- Food Safety and Biotechnology Department, Scientific Research Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology, Armenian National Agrarian University, Yerevan, Armenia
- International Association for Human and Animals Health Improvement, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Liana Grigoryan
- Food Safety and Biotechnology Department, Scientific Research Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology, Armenian National Agrarian University, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Mikayel Mikayelyan
- Food Safety and Biotechnology Department, Scientific Research Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology, Armenian National Agrarian University, Yerevan, Armenia
- International Association for Human and Animals Health Improvement, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Marine Balayan
- Food Safety and Biotechnology Department, Scientific Research Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology, Armenian National Agrarian University, Yerevan, Armenia
- International Association for Human and Animals Health Improvement, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Natalya Harutyunyan
- Food Safety and Biotechnology Department, Scientific Research Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology, Armenian National Agrarian University, Yerevan, Armenia
- International Association for Human and Animals Health Improvement, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Susanna Mirzabekyan
- Food Safety and Biotechnology Department, Scientific Research Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology, Armenian National Agrarian University, Yerevan, Armenia
- International Association for Human and Animals Health Improvement, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Vardan Tsaturyan
- International Association for Human and Animals Health Improvement, Yerevan, Armenia
- Faculty of Military Medicine, Yerevan State Medical University, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Tamas Torok
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Astghik Pepoyan
- Food Safety and Biotechnology Department, Scientific Research Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology, Armenian National Agrarian University, Yerevan, Armenia
- International Association for Human and Animals Health Improvement, Yerevan, Armenia
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Chai L, Shank EA, Zaburdaev V. Where bacteria and eukaryotes meet. J Bacteriol 2024; 206:e0004923. [PMID: 38289062 PMCID: PMC10882991 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00049-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The international workshop "Interdisciplinary life of microbes: from single cells to multicellular aggregates," following a virtual preassembly in November 2021, was held in person in Dresden, from 9 to 13 November 2022. It attracted not only prominent experts in biofilm research but also researchers from broadly neighboring disciplines, such as medicine, chemistry, and theoretical and experimental biophysics, both eukaryotic and prokaryotic. Focused brainstorming sessions were the special feature of the event and are at the heart of this commentary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liraz Chai
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- The Harvey M. Krueger Family Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Elizabeth A. Shank
- Department of Systems Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Vasily Zaburdaev
- Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
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9
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George DR, Danciu M, Davenport PW, Lakin MR, Chappell J, Frow EK. A bumpy road ahead for genetic biocontainment. Nat Commun 2024; 15:650. [PMID: 38245521 PMCID: PMC10799865 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44531-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Dalton R George
- School for the Future of Innovation in Society, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
- School of Biological & Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | - Mark Danciu
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | - Peter W Davenport
- Department of Computer Science, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Matthew R Lakin
- Department of Computer Science, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
- Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - James Chappell
- Department of Biosciences & Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Emma K Frow
- School for the Future of Innovation in Society, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA.
- School of Biological & Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA.
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Jing J, Garbeva P, Raaijmakers JM, Medema MH. Strategies for tailoring functional microbial synthetic communities. THE ISME JOURNAL 2024; 18:wrae049. [PMID: 38537571 PMCID: PMC11008692 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Natural ecosystems harbor a huge reservoir of taxonomically diverse microbes that are important for plant growth and health. The vast diversity of soil microorganisms and their complex interactions make it challenging to pinpoint the main players important for the life support functions microbes can provide to plants, including enhanced tolerance to (a)biotic stress factors. Designing simplified microbial synthetic communities (SynComs) helps reduce this complexity to unravel the molecular and chemical basis and interplay of specific microbiome functions. While SynComs have been successfully employed to dissect microbial interactions or reproduce microbiome-associated phenotypes, the assembly and reconstitution of these communities have often been based on generic abundance patterns or taxonomic identities and co-occurrences but have only rarely been informed by functional traits. Here, we review recent studies on designing functional SynComs to reveal common principles and discuss multidimensional approaches for community design. We propose a strategy for tailoring the design of functional SynComs based on integration of high-throughput experimental assays with microbial strains and computational genomic analyses of their functional capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayi Jing
- Bioinformatics Group, Department of Plant Science, Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Microbial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Paolina Garbeva
- Department of Microbial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jos M Raaijmakers
- Department of Microbial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marnix H Medema
- Bioinformatics Group, Department of Plant Science, Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
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11
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Beals DG, Puri AW. Linking methanotroph phenotypes to genotypes using a simple spatially resolved model ecosystem. THE ISME JOURNAL 2024; 18:wrae060. [PMID: 38622932 PMCID: PMC11072679 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Connecting genes to phenotypic traits in bacteria is often challenging because of a lack of environmental context in laboratory settings. Laboratory-based model ecosystems offer a means to better account for environmental conditions compared with standard planktonic cultures and can help link genotypes and phenotypes. Here, we present a simple, cost-effective, laboratory-based model ecosystem to study aerobic methane-oxidizing bacteria (methanotrophs) within the methane-oxygen counter gradient typically found in the natural environment of these organisms. Culturing the methanotroph Methylomonas sp. strain LW13 in this system resulted in the formation of a distinct horizontal band at the intersection of the counter gradient, which we discovered was not due to increased numbers of bacteria at this location but instead to an increased amount of polysaccharides. We also discovered that different methanotrophic taxa form polysaccharide bands with distinct locations and morphologies when grown in the methane-oxygen counter gradient. By comparing transcriptomic data from LW13 growing within and surrounding this band, we identified genes upregulated within the band and validated their involvement in growth and band formation within the model ecosystem using knockout strains. Notably, deletion of these genes did not negatively affect growth using standard planktonic culturing methods. This work highlights the use of a laboratory-based model ecosystem that more closely mimics the natural environment to uncover bacterial phenotypes missing from standard laboratory conditions, and to link these phenotypes with their genetic determinants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delaney G Beals
- Department of Chemistry and the Henry Eyring Center for Cell and Genome Science, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States
| | - Aaron W Puri
- Department of Chemistry and the Henry Eyring Center for Cell and Genome Science, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States
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12
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Novak V, Andeer PF, Bowen BP, Ding Y, Zhalnina K, Hofmockel KS, Tomaka C, Harwood TV, van Winden MCM, Golini AN, Kosina SM, Northen TR. Reproducible growth of Brachypodium in EcoFAB 2.0 reveals that nitrogen form and starvation modulate root exudation. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadg7888. [PMID: 38170767 PMCID: PMC10776018 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg7888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Understanding plant-microbe interactions requires examination of root exudation under nutrient stress using standardized and reproducible experimental systems. We grew Brachypodium distachyon hydroponically in fabricated ecosystem devices (EcoFAB 2.0) under three inorganic nitrogen forms (nitrate, ammonium, and ammonium nitrate), followed by nitrogen starvation. Analyses of exudates with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, biomass, medium pH, and nitrogen uptake showed EcoFAB 2.0's low intratreatment data variability. Furthermore, the three inorganic nitrogen forms caused differential exudation, generalized by abundant amino acids-peptides and alkaloids. Comparatively, nitrogen deficiency decreased nitrogen-containing compounds but increased shikimates-phenylpropanoids. Subsequent bioassays with two shikimates-phenylpropanoids (shikimic and p-coumaric acids) on soil bacteria or Brachypodium seedlings revealed their distinct capacity to regulate both bacterial and plant growth. Our results suggest that (i) Brachypodium alters exudation in response to nitrogen status, which can affect rhizobacterial growth, and (ii) EcoFAB 2.0 is a valuable standardized plant research tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vlastimil Novak
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Peter F. Andeer
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Benjamin P. Bowen
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- The DOE Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Yezhang Ding
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Kateryna Zhalnina
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Kirsten S. Hofmockel
- Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354, USA
- Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Connor Tomaka
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Thomas V. Harwood
- The DOE Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | | | - Amber N. Golini
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Suzanne M. Kosina
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Trent R. Northen
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- The DOE Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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13
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Conway JM, Martinez PJ, Wilson ED, Del Risco NM, Dangl JL. Arabidopsis Root Microbiome Microfluidic (ARMM) Device for Imaging Bacterial Colonization and Morphogenesis of Arabidopsis Roots. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2805:213-228. [PMID: 39008185 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3854-5_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Imaging the spatiotemporal dynamics of host-microbiota interactions is of particular interest for augmenting our understanding of these complex systems. This is especially true of plant-microbe interactions happening around, on, and inside plant roots where relatively little is understood about the dynamics of these systems. Over the past decade, a number of microfluidic devices have been developed to grow plants hydroponically in gnotobiotic conditions and image morphogenesis of the root and/or dynamics with fluorescently labeled bacteria from the plant root microbiome. Here we describe the construction and use of our Arabidopsis Root Microbiome Microfluidic (ARMM) device for imaging fluorescent protein expressing bacteria and their colonization of Arabidopsis roots. In contrast to other plant root imaging devices, we designed this device to have a larger chamber for observing Arabidopsis root elongation and plant-microbe interactions with older seedlings (between 1.5 and 4 weeks after germination) and a 200 μm chamber depth to specifically maintain thin Arabidopsis roots within the focal distance of the confocal microscope. Our device incorporates a new approach to growing Arabidopsis seedlings in screw-top tube caps for simplified germination and transfer to the device. We present representative images from the ARMM device including high resolution cross section images of bacterial colonization at the root surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan M Conway
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | - Payton J Martinez
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Ellie D Wilson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Nicole M Del Risco
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jeffery L Dangl
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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14
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Candry P, Godfrey BJ, Winkler MKH. Microbe-cellulose hydrogels as a model system for particulate carbon degradation in soil aggregates. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 4:ycae068. [PMID: 38800124 PMCID: PMC11126157 DOI: 10.1093/ismeco/ycae068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Particulate carbon (C) degradation in soils is a critical process in the global C cycle governing greenhouse gas fluxes and C storage. Millimeter-scale soil aggregates impose strong controls on particulate C degradation by inducing chemical gradients of e.g. oxygen, as well as limiting microbial mobility in pore structures. To date, experimental models of soil aggregates have incorporated porosity and chemical gradients but not particulate C. Here, we demonstrate a proof-of-concept encapsulating microbial cells and particulate C substrates in hydrogel matrices as a novel experimental model for soil aggregates. Ruminiclostridium cellulolyticum was co-encapsulated with cellulose in millimeter-scale polyethyleneglycol-dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) hydrogel beads. Microbial activity was delayed in hydrogel-encapsulated conditions, with cellulose degradation and fermentation activity being observed after 13 days of incubation. Unexpectedly, hydrogel encapsulation shifted product formation of R. cellulolyticum from an ethanol-lactate-acetate mixture to an acetate-dominated product profile. Fluorescence microscopy enabled simultaneous visualization of the PEGDMA matrix, cellulose particles, and individual cells in the matrix, demonstrating growth on cellulose particles during incubation. Together, these microbe-cellulose-PEGDMA hydrogels present a novel, reproducible experimental soil surrogate to connect single cells to process outcomes at the scale of soil aggregates and ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pieter Candry
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, 201 More Hall, Seattle, WA 98195-2700, United States
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University & Research, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University & Research, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands. E-mail:
| | - Bruce J Godfrey
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, 201 More Hall, Seattle, WA 98195-2700, United States
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15
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McNair MC, Cocioba SC, Pietrzyk P, Rife TW. Toward an open-source 3D-printable laboratory. APPLICATIONS IN PLANT SCIENCES 2024; 12:e11562. [PMID: 38369980 PMCID: PMC10873812 DOI: 10.1002/aps3.11562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Premise Low-cost, repairable lab equipment is rare within the biological sciences. By lowering the costs of entry using 3D printing and open-source hardware, our goal is to empower both amateur and professional scientists to conduct research. Methods We developed a modular system of 3D-printable designs called COBLE (Collection of Bespoke Laboratory Equipment), including novel and remixed 3D-printable lab equipment that can be inexpensively printed, assembled, and repaired for a fraction of the cost of retail equivalents. Results Here we present novel tools that utilize 3D printing to enable a wide range of scientific experiments. We include additional resources for scientists and labs that are interested in utilizing 3D printing for their research. Discussion By describing the broad potential that 3D-printed designs can have in the biological sciences, we hope to inspire others to implement and improve upon these designs, improving accessibility and enabling science for all.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mason C. McNair
- Plant and Environmental Sciences, Pee Dee Research and Education CenterClemson University2200 Pocket RoadFlorenceSouth Carolina29506USA
| | - Sebastian C. Cocioba
- Binomica Labs4301 22nd Street, Floor 3, Studio 342, Long Island CityNew York11101USA
| | - Peter Pietrzyk
- Department of Plant BiologyUniversity of Georgia120 Carlton StreetAthensGeorgia30602USA
| | - Trevor W. Rife
- Plant and Environmental Sciences, Pee Dee Research and Education CenterClemson University2200 Pocket RoadFlorenceSouth Carolina29506USA
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16
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Jansson JK, McClure R, Egbert RG. Soil microbiome engineering for sustainability in a changing environment. Nat Biotechnol 2023; 41:1716-1728. [PMID: 37903921 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-023-01932-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in microbial ecology and synthetic biology have the potential to mitigate damage caused by anthropogenic activities that are deleteriously impacting Earth's soil ecosystems. Here, we discuss challenges and opportunities for harnessing natural and synthetic soil microbial communities, focusing on plant growth promotion under different scenarios. We explore current needs for microbial solutions in soil ecosystems, how these solutions are being developed and applied, and the potential for new biotechnology breakthroughs to tailor and target microbial products for specific applications. We highlight several scientific and technological advances in soil microbiome engineering, including characterization of microbes that impact soil ecosystems, directing how microbes assemble to interact in soil environments, and the developing suite of gene-engineering approaches. This Review underscores the need for an interdisciplinary approach to understand the composition, dynamics and deployment of beneficial soil microbiomes to drive efforts to mitigate or reverse environmental damage by restoring and protecting healthy soil ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet K Jansson
- Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA.
| | - Ryan McClure
- Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | - Robert G Egbert
- Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
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17
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Timofeeva AM, Galyamova MR, Sedykh SE. Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria of Soil: Designing of Consortia Beneficial for Crop Production. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2864. [PMID: 38138008 PMCID: PMC10745983 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11122864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant growth-promoting bacteria are commonly used in agriculture, particularly for seed inoculation. Multispecies consortia are believed to be the most promising form of these bacteria. However, designing and modeling bacterial consortia to achieve desired phenotypic outcomes in plants is challenging. This review aims to address this challenge by exploring key antimicrobial interactions. Special attention is given to approaches for developing soil plant growth-promoting bacteria consortia. Additionally, advanced omics-based methods are analyzed that allow soil microbiomes to be characterized, providing an understanding of the molecular and functional aspects of these microbial communities. A comprehensive discussion explores the utilization of bacterial preparations in biofertilizers for agricultural applications, focusing on the intricate design of synthetic bacterial consortia with these preparations. Overall, the review provides valuable insights and strategies for intentionally designing bacterial consortia to enhance plant growth and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M. Timofeeva
- SB RAS Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia;
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia;
| | - Maria R. Galyamova
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia;
| | - Sergey E. Sedykh
- SB RAS Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia;
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia;
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18
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Thompson JC, Zavala VM, Venturelli OS. Integrating a tailored recurrent neural network with Bayesian experimental design to optimize microbial community functions. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011436. [PMID: 37773951 PMCID: PMC10540976 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbiomes interact dynamically with their environment to perform exploitable functions such as production of valuable metabolites and degradation of toxic metabolites for a wide range of applications in human health, agriculture, and environmental cleanup. Developing computational models to predict the key bacterial species and environmental factors to build and optimize such functions are crucial to accelerate microbial community engineering. However, there is an unknown web of interactions that determine the highly complex and dynamic behavior of these systems, which precludes the development of models based on known mechanisms. By contrast, entirely data-driven machine learning models can produce physically unrealistic predictions and often require significant amounts of experimental data to learn system behavior. We develop a physically-constrained recurrent neural network that preserves model flexibility but is constrained to produce physically consistent predictions and show that it can outperform existing machine learning methods in the prediction of certain experimentally measured species abundance and metabolite concentrations. Further, we present a closed-loop, Bayesian experimental design algorithm to guide data collection by selecting experimental conditions that simultaneously maximize information gain and target microbial community functions. Using a bioreactor case study, we demonstrate how the proposed framework can be used to efficiently navigate a large design space to identify optimal operating conditions. The proposed methodology offers a flexible machine learning approach specifically tailored to optimize microbiome target functions through the sequential design of informative experiments that seek to explore and exploit community functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaron C. Thompson
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Victor M. Zavala
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Ophelia S. Venturelli
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
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19
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Acharya SM, Yee MO, Diamond S, Andeer PF, Baig NF, Aladesanmi OT, Northen TR, Banfield JF, Chakraborty R. Fine scale sampling reveals early differentiation of rhizosphere microbiome from bulk soil in young Brachypodium plant roots. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 3:54. [PMID: 37280433 PMCID: PMC10244434 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-023-00265-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
For a deeper and comprehensive understanding of the composition and function of rhizosphere microbiomes, we need to focus at the scale of individual roots in standardized growth containers. Root exudation patterns are known to vary along distinct parts of the root even in juvenile plants giving rise to spatially distinct microbial niches. To address this, we analyzed the microbial community from two spatially distinct zones of the developing primary root (tip and base) in young Brachypodium distachyon grown in natural soil using standardized fabricated ecosystems known as EcoFABs as well as in more conventional pot and tubes. 16S rRNA based community analysis showed a strong rhizosphere effect resulting in significant enrichment of several OTUs belonging to Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. However, microbial community composition did not differ between root tips and root base or across different growth containers. Functional analysis of bulk metagenomics revealed significant differences between root tips and bulk soil. The genes associated with different metabolic pathways and root colonization were enriched in root tips. On the other hand, genes associated with nutrient-limitation and environmental stress were prominent in the bulk soil compared to root tips, implying the absence of easily available, labile carbon and nutrients in bulk soil relative to roots. Such insights into the relationships between developing root and microbial communities are critical for judicious understanding of plant-microbe interactions in early developmental stages of plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shwetha M Acharya
- Department of Ecology, Earth & Environmental Sciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Mon Oo Yee
- Department of Ecology, Earth & Environmental Sciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Spencer Diamond
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Peter F Andeer
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Nameera F Baig
- Department of Ecology, Earth & Environmental Sciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Omolara T Aladesanmi
- Department of Ecology, Earth & Environmental Sciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Trent R Northen
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Jillian F Banfield
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Romy Chakraborty
- Department of Ecology, Earth & Environmental Sciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
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20
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Lewin GR, Kapur A, Cornforth DM, Duncan RP, Diggle FL, Moustafa DA, Harrison SA, Skaar EP, Chazin WJ, Goldberg JB, Bomberger JM, Whiteley M. Application of a quantitative framework to improve the accuracy of a bacterial infection model. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2221542120. [PMID: 37126703 PMCID: PMC10175807 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2221542120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Laboratory models are critical to basic and translational microbiology research. Models serve multiple purposes, from providing tractable systems to study cell biology to allowing the investigation of inaccessible clinical and environmental ecosystems. Although there is a recognized need for improved model systems, there is a gap in rational approaches to accomplish this goal. We recently developed a framework for assessing the accuracy of microbial models by quantifying how closely each gene is expressed in the natural environment and in various models. The accuracy of the model is defined as the percentage of genes that are similarly expressed in the natural environment and the model. Here, we leverage this framework to develop and validate two generalizable approaches for improving model accuracy, and as proof of concept, we apply these approaches to improve models of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infecting the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung. First, we identify two models, an in vitro synthetic CF sputum medium model (SCFM2) and an epithelial cell model, that accurately recapitulate different gene sets. By combining these models, we developed the epithelial cell-SCFM2 model which improves the accuracy of over 500 genes. Second, to improve the accuracy of specific genes, we mined publicly available transcriptome data, which identified zinc limitation as a cue present in the CF lung and absent in SCFM2. Induction of zinc limitation in SCFM2 resulted in accurate expression of 90% of P. aeruginosa genes. These approaches provide generalizable, quantitative frameworks for microbiological model improvement that can be applied to any system of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina R. Lewin
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA30332
- Emory-Children’s Cystic Fibrosis Center, Atlanta, GA30332
| | - Ananya Kapur
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA15219
| | - Daniel M. Cornforth
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA30332
- Emory-Children’s Cystic Fibrosis Center, Atlanta, GA30332
| | - Rebecca P. Duncan
- Emory-Children’s Cystic Fibrosis Center, Atlanta, GA30332
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonary, Asthma, Cystic Fibrosis, and Sleep, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA30322
| | - Frances L. Diggle
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA30332
- Emory-Children’s Cystic Fibrosis Center, Atlanta, GA30332
| | - Dina A. Moustafa
- Emory-Children’s Cystic Fibrosis Center, Atlanta, GA30332
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonary, Asthma, Cystic Fibrosis, and Sleep, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA30322
| | - Simone A. Harrison
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37232
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37232
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37232
| | - Eric P. Skaar
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN37232
| | - Walter J. Chazin
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37232
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37232
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37232
| | - Joanna B. Goldberg
- Emory-Children’s Cystic Fibrosis Center, Atlanta, GA30332
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonary, Asthma, Cystic Fibrosis, and Sleep, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA30322
| | - Jennifer M. Bomberger
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA15219
| | - Marvin Whiteley
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA30332
- Emory-Children’s Cystic Fibrosis Center, Atlanta, GA30332
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21
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Liu Q, Cheng L, Nian H, Jin J, Lian T. Linking plant functional genes to rhizosphere microbes: a review. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2023; 21:902-917. [PMID: 36271765 PMCID: PMC10106864 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The importance of rhizomicrobiome in plant development, nutrition acquisition and stress tolerance is unquestionable. Relevant plant genes corresponding to the above functions also regulate rhizomicrobiome construction. Deciphering the molecular regulatory network of plant-microbe interactions could substantially contribute to improving crop yield and quality. Here, the plant gene-related nutrient uptake, biotic and abiotic stress resistance, which may influence the composition and function of microbial communities, are discussed in this review. In turn, the influence of microbes on the expression of functional plant genes, and thereby plant growth and immunity, is also reviewed. Moreover, we have specifically paid attention to techniques and methods used to link plant functional genes and rhizomicrobiome. Finally, we propose to further explore the molecular mechanisms and signalling pathways of microbe-host gene interactions, which could potentially be used for managing plant health in agricultural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Liu
- The State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro‐BioresourcesSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouChina
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Breeding of Guangdong Province, College of AgricultureSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Lang Cheng
- The State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro‐BioresourcesSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouChina
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Breeding of Guangdong Province, College of AgricultureSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Hai Nian
- The State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro‐BioresourcesSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouChina
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Breeding of Guangdong Province, College of AgricultureSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Jian Jin
- Northeast Institute of Geography and AgroecologyChinese Academy of SciencesHarbinChina
- Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences, Centre for AgriBioscienceLa Trobe UniversityBundooraVictoriaAustralia
| | - Tengxiang Lian
- The State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro‐BioresourcesSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouChina
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Breeding of Guangdong Province, College of AgricultureSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouChina
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22
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Prabhakar RG, Fan G, Alnahhas RN, Hirning AJ, Bennett MR, Shamoo Y. Indirect Enrichment of Desirable, but Less Fit Phenotypes, from a Synthetic Microbial Community Using Microdroplet Confinement. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:1239-1251. [PMID: 36929925 PMCID: PMC11259032 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Spatial structure within microbial communities can provide nearly limitless opportunities for social interactions and are an important driver for evolution. As metabolites are often molecular signals, metabolite diffusion within microbial communities can affect the composition and dynamics of the community in a manner that can be challenging to deconstruct. We used encapsulation of a synthetic microbial community within microdroplets to investigate the effects of spatial structure and metabolite diffusion on population dynamics and to examine the effects of cheating by one member of the community. The synthetic community was composed of three strains: a "Producer" that makes the diffusible quorum sensing molecule (N-(3-oxododecanoyl)-l-homoserine lactone, C12-oxo-HSL) or AHL; a "Receiver" that is killed by AHL; and a Non-Producer or "cheater" that benefits from the extinction of the Receivers, but without the costs associated with the AHL synthesis. We demonstrate that despite rapid diffusion of AHL between microdroplets, the spatial structure imposed by the microdroplets allows a more efficient but transient enrichment of more rare and slower-growing Producer subpopulations. Eventually, the Non-Producer population drove the Producers to extinction. By including fluorescence-activated microdroplet sorting and providing sustained competition by the Receiver strain, we demonstrate a strategy for indirect enrichment of a rare and unlabeled Producer. The ability to screen and enrich metabolite Producers from a much larger population under conditions of rapid diffusion provides an important framework for the development of applications in synthetic ecology and biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gaoyang Fan
- Department of Mathematics, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, 77204, United States
| | - Razan N Alnahhas
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, 77005, United States
| | - Andrew J Hirning
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, 77005, United States
| | - Matthew R Bennett
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, 77005, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas, 77005, United States
| | - Yousif Shamoo
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, 77005, United States
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23
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Pacheco AR, Vorholt JA. Resolving metabolic interaction mechanisms in plant microbiomes. Curr Opin Microbiol 2023; 74:102317. [PMID: 37062173 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2023.102317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
Metabolic interactions are fundamental to the assembly and functioning of microbiomes, including those of plants. However, disentangling the molecular basis of these interactions and their specific roles remains a major challenge. Here, we review recent applications of experimental and computational methods toward the elucidation of metabolic interactions in plant-associated microbiomes. We highlight studies that span various scales of taxonomic and environmental complexity, including those that test interaction outcomes in vitro and in planta by deconstructing microbial communities. We also discuss how the continued integration of multiple methods can further reveal the general ecological characteristics of plant microbiomes, as well as provide strategies for applications in areas such as improved plant protection, bioremediation, and sustainable agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan R Pacheco
- Institute of Microbiology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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24
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Microbiome engineering for bioremediation of emerging pollutants. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 2023; 46:323-339. [PMID: 36029349 DOI: 10.1007/s00449-022-02777-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Axenic microbial applications in the open environment are unrealistic and may not be always practically viable. Therefore, it is important to use mixed microbial cultures and their interactions with the microbiome in the targeted ecosystem to perform robust functions towards their sustainability in harsh environmental conditions. Emerging pollutants like phthalates and hydrocarbons that are toxic to several aquatic and terrestrial life forms in the water bodies and lands are an alarming situation. The present review explores the possibility of devising an inclusive eco-friendly strategy like microbiome engineering which proves to be a unique and crucial technology involving the power of microbial communication through quorum sensing. This review discusses the interspecies and intra-species communications between different microbial groups with their respective environments. Moreover, this review also envisages the efforts for designing the next level of microbiome-host engineering concept (MHEC). The focus of the review also extended toward using omics and metabolic network analysis-based tools for effective microbiome engineering. These approaches might be quite helpful in the future to understand such microbial interactions but it will be challenging to implement in the real environment to get the desired functions. Finally, the review also discusses multiple approaches for the bioremediation of toxic chemicals from the soil environment.
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Prabhakar RG, Fan G, Alnahhas RN, Hirning AJ, Bennett MR, Shamoo Y. Indirect enrichment of desirable, but less fit phenotypes, from a synthetic microbial community using microdroplet confinement. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.11.523444. [PMID: 36711600 PMCID: PMC9882018 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.11.523444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Spatial structure within microbial communities can provide nearly limitless opportunities for social interactions and are an important driver for evolution. As metabolites are often molecular signals, metabolite diffusion within microbial communities can affect the composition and dynamics of the community in a manner that can be challenging to deconstruct. We used encapsulation of a synthetic microbial community within microdroplets to investigate the effects of spatial structure and metabolite diffusion on population dynamics and to examine the effects of cheating by one member of the community. The synthetic community was comprised of three strains: a 'Producer' that makes the diffusible quorum sensing molecule ( N -(3-Oxododecanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone, C12-oxo-HSL) or AHL; a 'Receiver' that is killed by AHL and a Non-Producer or 'cheater' that benefits from the extinction of the Receivers, but without the costs associated with the AHL synthesis. We demonstrate that despite rapid diffusion of AHL between microdroplets, the spatial structure imposed by the microdroplets allow a more efficient but transient enrichment of more rare and slower growing 'Producer' subpopulations. Eventually, the Non-Producer population drove the Producers to extinction. By including fluorescence-activated microdroplet sorting and providing sustained competition by the Receiver strain, we demonstrate a strategy for indirect enrichment of a rare and unlabeled Producer. The ability to screen and enrich metabolite Producers from a much larger population under conditions of rapid diffusion provides an important framework for the development of applications in synthetic ecology and biotechnology. Abstract Figure
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gaoyang Fan
- Department of Mathematics, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States
| | - Razan N Alnahhas
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Andrew J Hirning
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, United States
| | - Matthew R Bennett
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, United States
| | - Yousif Shamoo
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, United States
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26
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synDNA-a Synthetic DNA Spike-in Method for Absolute Quantification of Shotgun Metagenomic Sequencing. mSystems 2022; 7:e0044722. [PMID: 36317886 PMCID: PMC9765022 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00447-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbiome studies have the common goal of determining which microbial taxa are present, respond to specific conditions, or promote phenotypic changes in the host. Most of these studies rely on relative abundance measurements to drive conclusions. Inherent limitations of relative values are the inability to determine whether an individual taxon is more or less abundant and the magnitude of this change between the two samples. These limitations can be overcome by using absolute abundance quantifications, which can allow for a more complete understanding of community dynamics by measuring variations in total microbial loads. Obtaining absolute abundance measurements is still technically challenging. Here, we developed synthetic DNA (synDNA) spike-ins that enable precise and cost-effective absolute quantification of microbiome data by adding defined amounts of synDNAs to the samples. We designed 10 synDNAs with the following features: 2,000-bp length, variable GC content (26, 36, 46, 56, or 66% GC), and negligible identity to sequences found in the NCBI database. Dilution pools were generated by mixing the 10 synDNAs at different concentrations. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing showed that the pools of synDNAs with different percentages of GC efficiently reproduced the serial dilution, showing high correlation (r = 0.96; R2 ≥ 0.94) and significance (P < 0.01). Furthermore, we demonstrated that the synDNAs can be used as DNA spike-ins to generate linear models and predict with high accuracy the absolute number of bacterial cells in complex microbial communities. IMPORTANCE The synDNAs designed in this study enable accurate and reproducible measurements of absolute amount and fold changes of bacterial species in complex microbial communities. The method proposed here is versatile and promising as it can be applied to bacterial communities or genomic features like genes and operons, in addition to being easily adaptable by other research groups at a low cost. We also made the synDNAs' sequences and the plasmids available to encourage future application of the proposed method in the study of microbial communities.
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Coker J, Zhalnina K, Marotz C, Thiruppathy D, Tjuanta M, D’Elia G, Hailu R, Mahosky T, Rowan M, Northen TR, Zengler K. A Reproducible and Tunable Synthetic Soil Microbial Community Provides New Insights into Microbial Ecology. mSystems 2022; 7:e0095122. [PMID: 36472419 PMCID: PMC9765266 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00951-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial soil communities form commensal relationships with plants to promote the growth of both parties. The optimization of plant-microbe interactions to advance sustainable agriculture is an important field in agricultural research. However, investigation in this field is hindered by a lack of model microbial community systems and efficient approaches for building these communities. Two key challenges in developing standardized model communities are maintaining community diversity over time and storing/resuscitating these communities after cryopreservation, especially considering the different growth rates of organisms. Here, a model synthetic community (SynCom) of 16 soil microorganisms commonly found in the rhizosphere of diverse plant species, isolated from soil surrounding a single switchgrass plant, has been developed and optimized for in vitro experiments. The model soil community grows reproducibly between replicates and experiments, with a high community α-diversity being achieved through growth in low-nutrient media and through the adjustment of the starting composition ratios for the growth of individual organisms. The community can additionally be cryopreserved with glycerol, allowing for easy replication and dissemination of this in vitro system. Furthermore, the SynCom also grows reproducibly in fabricated ecosystem devices (EcoFABs), demonstrating the application of this community to an existing in vitro plant-microbe system. EcoFABs allow reproducible research in model plant systems, offering the precise control of environmental conditions and the easy measurement of plant microbe metrics. Our results demonstrate the generation of a stable and diverse microbial SynCom for the rhizosphere that can be used with EcoFAB devices and can be shared between research groups for maximum reproducibility. IMPORTANCE Microbes associate with plants in distinct soil communities to the benefit of both the soil microbes and the plants. Interactions between plants and these microbes can improve plant growth and health and are therefore a field of study in sustainable agricultural research. In this study, a model community of 16 soil bacteria has been developed to further the reproducible study of plant-soil microbe interactions. The preservation of the microbial community has been optimized for dissemination to other research settings. Overall, this work will advance soil microbe research through the optimization of a robust, reproducible model community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Coker
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Kateryna Zhalnina
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Berkeley Lab, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Clarisse Marotz
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Deepan Thiruppathy
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Megan Tjuanta
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Gavin D’Elia
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Rodas Hailu
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Talon Mahosky
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Meagan Rowan
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Trent R. Northen
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Berkeley Lab, Berkeley, California, USA
- The DOE Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley Lab, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Karsten Zengler
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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28
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Nethery MA, Hidalgo-Cantabrana C, Roberts A, Barrangou R. CRISPR-based engineering of phages for in situ bacterial base editing. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2206744119. [PMID: 36343261 PMCID: PMC9674246 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2206744119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Investigation of microbial gene function is essential to the elucidation of ecological roles and complex genetic interactions that take place in microbial communities. While microbiome studies have increased in prevalence, the lack of viable in situ editing strategies impedes experimental progress, rendering genetic knowledge and manipulation of microbial communities largely inaccessible. Here, we demonstrate the utility of phage-delivered CRISPR-Cas payloads to perform targeted genetic manipulation within a community context, deploying a fabricated ecosystem (EcoFAB) as an analog for the soil microbiome. First, we detail the engineering of two classical phages for community editing using recombination to replace nonessential genes through Cas9-based selection. We show efficient engineering of T7, then demonstrate the expression of antibiotic resistance and fluorescent genes from an engineered λ prophage within an Escherichia coli host. Next, we modify λ to express an APOBEC-1-based cytosine base editor (CBE), which we leverage to perform C-to-T point mutations guided by a modified Cas9 containing only a single active nucleolytic domain (nCas9). We strategically introduce these base substitutions to create premature stop codons in-frame, inactivating both chromosomal (lacZ) and plasmid-encoded genes (mCherry and ampicillin resistance) without perturbation of the surrounding genomic regions. Furthermore, using a multigenera synthetic soil community, we employ phage-assisted base editing to induce host-specific phenotypic alterations in a community context both in vitro and within the EcoFAB, observing editing efficiencies from 10 to 28% across the bacterial population. The concurrent use of a synthetic microbial community, soil matrix, and EcoFAB device provides a controlled and reproducible model to more closely approximate in situ editing of the soil microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A. Nethery
- Genomic Sciences Graduate Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695
- Department of Food, Bioprocessing & Nutrition Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606
| | - Claudio Hidalgo-Cantabrana
- Department of Food, Bioprocessing & Nutrition Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606
| | - Avery Roberts
- Genomic Sciences Graduate Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695
- Department of Food, Bioprocessing & Nutrition Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606
| | - Rodolphe Barrangou
- Genomic Sciences Graduate Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695
- Department of Food, Bioprocessing & Nutrition Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606
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29
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Abstract
The diversity and functional significance of microbiomes have become increasingly clear through the extensive sampling of Earth's many habitats and the rapid adoption of new sequencing technologies. However, much remains unknown about what makes a "healthy" microbiome, how to restore a disrupted microbiome, and how microbiomes assemble. In December 2019, we convened a workshop that focused on how to identify potential "rules of life" that govern microbiome structure and function. This collection of mSystems Perspective pieces reflects many of the main challenges and opportunities in the field identified by both in-person and virtual workshop participants. By borrowing conceptual and theoretical approaches from other fields, including economics and philosophy, these pieces suggest new ways to dissect microbiome patterns and processes. The application of conceptual advances, including trait-based theory and community coalescence, is providing new insights on how to predict and manage microbiome diversity and function. Technological and analytical advances, including deep transfer learning, metabolic models, and advances in analytical chemistry, are helping us sift through complex systems to pinpoint mechanisms of microbiome assembly and dynamics. Integration of all of these advancements (theory, concepts, technology) across biological and spatial scales is providing dramatically improved temporal and spatial resolution of microbiome dynamics. This integrative microbiome research is happening in a new moment in science where academic institutions, scientific societies, and funding agencies must act collaboratively to support and train a diverse and inclusive community of microbiome scientists.
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30
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Carper DL, Appidi MR, Mudbhari S, Shrestha HK, Hettich RL, Abraham PE. The Promises, Challenges, and Opportunities of Omics for Studying the Plant Holobiont. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10102013. [PMID: 36296289 PMCID: PMC9609723 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10102013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms are critical drivers of biological processes that contribute significantly to plant sustainability and productivity. In recent years, emerging research on plant holobiont theory and microbial invasion ecology has radically transformed how we study plant–microbe interactions. Over the last few years, we have witnessed an accelerating pace of advancements and breadth of questions answered using omic technologies. Herein, we discuss how current state-of-the-art genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics techniques reliably transcend the task of studying plant–microbe interactions while acknowledging existing limitations impeding our understanding of plant holobionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana L. Carper
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Manasa R. Appidi
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
- Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Sameer Mudbhari
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
- Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Him K. Shrestha
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
- Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Robert L. Hettich
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Paul E. Abraham
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
- Correspondence:
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31
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Howard-Varona C, Roux S, Bowen BP, Silva LP, Lau R, Schwenck SM, Schwartz S, Woyke T, Northen T, Sullivan MB, Floge SA. Protist impacts on marine cyanovirocell metabolism. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 2:94. [PMID: 37938263 PMCID: PMC9723779 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-022-00169-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
The fate of oceanic carbon and nutrients depends on interactions between viruses, prokaryotes, and unicellular eukaryotes (protists) in a highly interconnected planktonic food web. To date, few controlled mechanistic studies of these interactions exist, and where they do, they are largely pairwise, focusing either on viral infection (i.e., virocells) or protist predation. Here we studied population-level responses of Synechococcus cyanobacterial virocells (i.e., cyanovirocells) to the protist Oxyrrhis marina using transcriptomics, endo- and exo-metabolomics, photosynthetic efficiency measurements, and microscopy. Protist presence had no measurable impact on Synechococcus transcripts or endometabolites. The cyanovirocells alone had a smaller intracellular transcriptional and metabolic response than cyanovirocells co-cultured with protists, displaying known patterns of virus-mediated metabolic reprogramming while releasing diverse exometabolites during infection. When protists were added, several exometabolites disappeared, suggesting microbial consumption. In addition, the intracellular cyanovirocell impact was largest, with 4.5- and 10-fold more host transcripts and endometabolites, respectively, responding to protists, especially those involved in resource and energy production. Physiologically, photosynthetic efficiency also increased, and together with the transcriptomics and metabolomics findings suggest that cyanovirocell metabolic demand is highest when protists are present. These data illustrate cyanovirocell responses to protist presence that are not yet considered when linking microbial physiology to global-scale biogeochemical processes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Simon Roux
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- U.S. DOE Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Leslie P Silva
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Syft Technologies, Ltd, Christchurch, 8024, New Zealand
| | - Rebecca Lau
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sarah M Schwenck
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Microbial and Environmental Genomics, J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Samuel Schwartz
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC, USA
| | - Tanja Woyke
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- U.S. DOE Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Trent Northen
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- U.S. DOE Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Matthew B Sullivan
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering, and Center of Microbiome Science, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - Sheri A Floge
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC, USA.
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Appidi MR, Bible AN, Carper DL, Jawdy SS, Giannone RJ, Hettich RL, Morrell-Falvey J, Abraham PE. Development of an Experimental Approach to Achieve Spatially Resolved Plant Root-Associated Metaproteomics Using an Agar-Plate System. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2022; 35:639-649. [PMID: 35349304 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-01-22-0011-ta] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Plant-microbe interactions in the rhizosphere play a vital role in plant health and productivity. The composition and function of root-associated microbiomes is strongly influenced by their surrounding environment, which is often customized by their host. How microbiomes change with respect to space and time across plant roots remains poorly understood, and methodologies that facilitate spatiotemporal metaproteomic studies of root-associated microbiomes are yet to be realized. Here, we developed a method that provides spatially resolved metaproteome measurements along plant roots embedded in agar-plate culture systems, which have long been used to study plants. Spatially defined agar "plugs" of interest were excised and subsequently processed using a novel peptide extraction method prior to metaproteomics, which was used to infer both microbial community composition and function. As a proof-of-principle, a previously studied 10-member community constructed from a Populus root system was grown in an agar plate with a 3-week-old Populus trichocarpa plant. Metaproteomics was performed across two time points (24 and 48 h) for three distinct locations (root base, root tip, and a region distant from the root). The spatial resolution of these measurements provides evidence that microbiome composition and expression changes across the plant root interface. Interrogation of the individual microbial proteomes revealed functional profiles related to their behavioral associations with the plant root, in which chemotaxis and augmented metabolism likely supported predominance of the most abundant member. This study demonstrated a novel peptide extraction method for studying plant agar-plate culture systems, which was previously unsuitable for (meta)proteomic measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manasa R Appidi
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, U.S.A
- Department of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN 37996, U.S.A
| | - Amber N Bible
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, U.S.A
| | - Dana L Carper
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, U.S.A
| | - Sara S Jawdy
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, U.S.A
| | - Richard J Giannone
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, U.S.A
| | - Robert L Hettich
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, U.S.A
| | | | - Paul E Abraham
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, U.S.A
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33
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Environment Constrains Fitness Advantages of Division of Labor in Microbial Consortia Engineered for Metabolite Push or Pull Interactions. mSystems 2022; 7:e0005122. [PMID: 35762764 PMCID: PMC9426560 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00051-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Fitness benefits from division of labor are well documented in microbial consortia, but the dependency of the benefits on environmental context is poorly understood. Two synthetic Escherichia coli consortia were built to test the relationships between exchanged organic acid, local environment, and opportunity costs of different metabolic strategies. Opportunity costs quantify benefits not realized due to selecting one phenotype over another. The consortia catabolized glucose and exchanged either acetic or lactic acid to create producer-consumer food webs. The organic acids had different inhibitory properties and different opportunity costs associated with their positions in central metabolism. The exchanged metabolites modulated different consortial dynamics. The acetic acid-exchanging (AAE) consortium had a “push” interaction motif where acetic acid was secreted faster by the producer than the consumer imported it, while the lactic acid-exchanging (LAE) consortium had a “pull” interaction motif where the consumer imported lactic acid at a comparable rate to its production. The LAE consortium outperformed wild-type (WT) batch cultures under the environmental context of weakly buffered conditions, achieving a 55% increase in biomass titer, a 51% increase in biomass per proton yield, an 86% increase in substrate conversion, and the complete elimination of by-product accumulation all relative to the WT. However, the LAE consortium had the trade-off of a 42% lower specific growth rate. The AAE consortium did not outperform the WT in any considered performance metric. Performance advantages of the LAE consortium were sensitive to environment; increasing the medium buffering capacity negated the performance advantages compared to WT. IMPORTANCE Most naturally occurring microorganisms persist in consortia where metabolic interactions are common and often essential to ecosystem function. This study uses synthetic ecology to test how different cellular interaction motifs influence performance properties of consortia. Environmental context ultimately controlled the division of labor performance as shifts from weakly buffered to highly buffered conditions negated the benefits of the strategy. Understanding the limits of division of labor advances our understanding of natural community functioning, which is central to nutrient cycling and provides design rules for assembling consortia used in applied bioprocessing.
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Blakney AJC, Bainard LD, St-Arnaud M, Hijri M. Brassicaceae host plants mask the feedback from the previous year's soil history on bacterial communities, except when they experience drought. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:3529-3548. [PMID: 35590462 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Soil history operates through time to influence the structure and biodiversity of soil bacterial communities. Examining how different soil histories endure will help clarify the rules of bacterial community assembly. In this study, we established three different soil histories in field trials; the following year these plots were planted with five different Brassicaceae species. We hypothesized that the previously established soil histories would continue to structure the subsequent Brassicaceae bacterial root and rhizosphere communities. We used a MiSeq 16S rRNA metabarcoding strategy to determine the impact of different soil histories on the structure and biodiversity of the bacterial root and rhizosphere communities from the five different Brassicaceae host plants. We found that the Brassicaceae hosts were consistently significant factors in structuring the bacterial communities. Four host plants (Sinapis alba, Brassica napus, B. juncea, B. carinata) formed similar bacterial communities, regardless of different soil histories. Camelina sativa host plants structured phylogenetically distinct bacterial communities compared to the other hosts, particularly in their roots. Soil history established the previous year was only a significant factor for bacterial community structure when the feedback of the Brassicaceae host plants was weakened, potentially due to limited soil moisture during a dry year. Understanding how soil history is involved in the structure and biodiversity of bacterial communities through time is a limitation in microbial ecology and is required for employing microbiome technologies in improving agricultural systems. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J C Blakney
- Institut de recherche en biologie végétale, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal and Jardin botanique de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Luke D Bainard
- Agassiz Research and Development Centre, AgricuSlture and Agri-Food Canada, Agassiz, BC, V0M 1A2, Canada
| | - Marc St-Arnaud
- Institut de recherche en biologie végétale, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal and Jardin botanique de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Mohamed Hijri
- Institut de recherche en biologie végétale, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal and Jardin botanique de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,African Genome Center, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), Lot 660, Hay Moulay Rachid, Ben Guerir, 43150, Morocco
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Suwanchaikasem P, Idnurm A, Selby-Pham J, Walker R, Boughton BA. Root-TRAPR: a modular plant growth device to visualize root development and monitor growth parameters, as applied to an elicitor response of Cannabis sativa. PLANT METHODS 2022; 18:46. [PMID: 35397608 PMCID: PMC8994333 DOI: 10.1186/s13007-022-00875-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plant growth devices, for example, rhizoponics, rhizoboxes, and ecosystem fabrication (EcoFAB), have been developed to facilitate studies of plant root morphology and plant-microbe interactions in controlled laboratory settings. However, several of these designs are suitable only for studying small model plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana and Brachypodium distachyon and therefore require modification to be extended to larger plant species like crop plants. In addition, specific tools and technical skills needed for fabricating these devices may not be available to researchers. Hence, this study aimed to establish an alternative protocol to generate a larger, modular and reusable plant growth device based on different available resources. RESULTS Root-TRAPR (Root-Transparent, Reusable, Affordable three-dimensional Printed Rhizo-hydroponic) system was successfully developed. It consists of two main parts, an internal root growth chamber and an external structural frame. The internal root growth chamber comprises a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) gasket, microscope slide and acrylic sheet, while the external frame is printed from a three-dimensional (3D) printer and secured with nylon screws. To test the efficiency and applicability of the system, industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa) was grown with or without exposure to chitosan, a well-known plant elicitor used for stimulating plant defense. Plant root morphology was detected in the system, and plant tissues were easily collected and processed to examine plant biological responses. Upon chitosan treatment, chitinase and peroxidase activities increased in root tissues (1.7- and 2.3-fold, respectively) and exudates (7.2- and 21.6-fold, respectively). In addition, root to shoot ratio of phytohormone contents were increased in response to chitosan. Within 2 weeks of observation, hemp plants exhibited dwarf growth in the Root-TRAPR system, easing plant handling and allowing increased replication under limited growing space. CONCLUSION The Root-TRAPR system facilitates the exploration of root morphology and root exudate of C. sativa under controlled conditions and at a smaller scale. The device is easy to fabricate and applicable for investigating plant responses toward elicitor challenge. In addition, this fabrication protocol is adaptable to study other plants and can be applied to investigate plant physiology in different biological contexts, such as plant responses against biotic and abiotic stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Jamie Selby-Pham
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
- Nutrifield Pty Ltd, Melbourne, VIC, 3020, Australia
| | - Robert Walker
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia.
| | - Berin A Boughton
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
- Australian National Phenome Centre, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, 6150, Australia
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36
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A Phage Foundry Framework to Systematically Develop Viral Countermeasures to Combat Antibiotic-Resistant Bacterial Pathogens. iScience 2022; 25:104121. [PMID: 35402883 PMCID: PMC8983348 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
At its current rate, the rise of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) infections is predicted to paralyze our industries and healthcare facilities while becoming the leading global cause of loss of human life. With limited new antibiotics on the horizon, we need to invest in alternative solutions. Bacteriophages (phages)—viruses targeting bacteria—offer a powerful alternative approach to tackle bacterial infections. Despite recent advances in using phages to treat recalcitrant AMR infections, the field lacks systematic development of phage therapies scalable to different applications. We propose a Phage Foundry framework to establish metrics for phage characterization and to fill the knowledge and technological gaps in phage therapeutics. Coordinated investment in AMR surveillance, sampling, characterization, and data sharing procedures will enable rational exploitation of phages for treatments. A fully realized Phage Foundry will enhance the sharing of knowledge, technology, and viral reagents in an equitable manner and will accelerate the biobased economy.
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Cabrera J, Conesa CM, Del Pozo JC. May the dark be with roots: a perspective on how root illumination may bias in vitro research on plant-environment interactions. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 233:1988-1997. [PMID: 34942016 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Roots anchor plants to the soil, providing them with nutrients and water while creating a defence network and facilitating beneficial interactions with a multitude of living organisms and climatological conditions. To facilitate morphological and molecular studies, root research has been conducted using in vitro systems. However, under natural conditions, roots grow in the dark, mainly in the absence of illumination, except for the relatively low illumination of the upper soil surface, and this has been largely ignored. Here, we discuss the results found over the last decade on how experimental exposure of roots to light may bias root development and responses through the alteration of hormonal signalling, cytoskeleton organization, reactive oxygen species or the accumulation of flavonoids, among other factors. Illumination alters the uptake of nutrients or water, and also affects the response of the roots to abiotic stresses and root interactions with the microbiota. Furthermore, we review in vitro systems created to maintain roots in darkness, and provide a comparative analysis of root transcriptomes obtained with these devices. Finally, we identify other experimental variables that should be considered to better mimic soil conditions, whose improvement would benefit studies using in vitro cultivation or enclosed ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Cabrera
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid-Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (UPM-INIA/CSIC), UPM, Campus de Montegancedo, Pozuelo de Alarcón, 28223, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos M Conesa
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid-Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (UPM-INIA/CSIC), UPM, Campus de Montegancedo, Pozuelo de Alarcón, 28223, Madrid, Spain
- Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica, Agroambiental y de Biosistemas (ETSIAAB), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Campus de Montegancedo, Pozuelo de Alarcón, 28223, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan C Del Pozo
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid-Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (UPM-INIA/CSIC), UPM, Campus de Montegancedo, Pozuelo de Alarcón, 28223, Madrid, Spain
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38
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Kodera SM, Das P, Gilbert JA, Lutz HL. Conceptual strategies for characterizing interactions in microbial communities. iScience 2022; 25:103775. [PMID: 35146390 PMCID: PMC8819398 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.103775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the sets of inter- and intraspecies interactions in microbial communities is a fundamental goal of microbial ecology. However, the study and quantification of microbial interactions pose several challenges owing to their complexity, dynamic nature, and the sheer number of unique interactions within a typical community. To overcome such challenges, microbial ecologists must rely on various approaches to distill the system of study to a functional and conceptualizable level, allowing for a practical understanding of microbial interactions in both simplified and complex systems. This review broadly addresses the role of several conceptual approaches available for the microbial ecologist’s arsenal, examines specific tools used to accomplish such approaches, and describes how the assumptions, expectations, and philosophies underlying these tools change across scales of complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sho M Kodera
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Promi Das
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92161, USA
| | - Jack A Gilbert
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.,Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92161, USA
| | - Holly L Lutz
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92161, USA.,Negaunee Integrative Collections Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL 60605, USA
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39
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Exploring the roles of microbes in facilitating plant adaptation to climate change. Biochem J 2022; 479:327-335. [PMID: 35119455 PMCID: PMC8883484 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20210793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Plants benefit from their close association with soil microbes which assist in their response to abiotic and biotic stressors. Yet much of what we know about plant stress responses is based on studies where the microbial partners were uncontrolled and unknown. Under climate change, the soil microbial community will also be sensitive to and respond to abiotic and biotic stressors. Thus, facilitating plant adaptation to climate change will require a systems-based approach that accounts for the multi-dimensional nature of plant-microbe-environment interactions. In this perspective, we highlight some of the key factors influencing plant-microbe interactions under stress as well as new tools to facilitate the controlled study of their molecular complexity, such as fabricated ecosystems and synthetic communities. When paired with genomic and biochemical methods, these tools provide researchers with more precision, reproducibility, and manipulability for exploring plant-microbe-environment interactions under a changing climate.
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40
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Ma KW, Ordon J, Schulze-Lefert P. Gnotobiotic Plant Systems for Reconstitution and Functional Studies of the Root Microbiota. Curr Protoc 2022; 2:e362. [PMID: 35120282 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Healthy plants host a multi-kingdom community of microbes, which is known as the plant microbiota. Amplicon sequencing technologies for microbial genomic markers were a milestone in revealing the taxonomic composition of the microbiota and its variation associated with a plant host in natural environments. However, this method alone does not allow conclusions to be drawn about functions of these microbial assemblages for the plant. The development of culture collections, which recapitulate natural microbial communities in their diversity, and multiple gnotobiotic plant systems therefore represent a breakthrough in plant-microbiota research such that plants can be inoculated with defined communities to study proposed microbiota functions. These systems provided, for the root microbiota, first insights into mechanisms underlying microbial community establishment and contributions of its microbial members to indirect pathogen protection and mineral nutrition of the host. We argue that the choice of a gnotobiotic system for microbiota reconstitution and subsequent functional analysis depends on the particular plant trait that is influenced by the microbiota. We start by discussing the advantages and limitations of using individual gnotobiotic systems and then describe the general procedures for preparing bacterial cultures from the Arabidopsis thaliana At-R-SPHERE culture collection for inoculation and cocultivation in two gnotobiotic plant growth systems using agar and perlite matrix. Additionally, a protocol for inoculation of plants with opportunistic Pseudomonas pathogens is provided. Lastly, we describe a high-throughput system for visual assessment of roots after inoculation with individual mutants of a transposon library generated from a root-derived bacterial commensal. © 2022 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Preparation of bacterial cultures from At-R-SPHERE Support Protocol 1: Validation of strains by sequencing hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA gene Basic Protocol 2: Coinoculation of plants grown on an agar matrix with microbial elicitor and a defined microbial community Alternate Protocol: Inoculation of plants cultivated in a perlite-based growth system Support Protocol 2: Surface sterilization of Arabidopsis thaliana seeds Basic Protocol 3: Inoculation using a Pseudomonas opportunistic pathogen Basic Protocol 4: Assessment of commensal-mediated root phenotypes using phytostrips.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ka-Wai Ma
- Department of Plant Microbe Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jana Ordon
- Department of Plant Microbe Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Paul Schulze-Lefert
- Department of Plant Microbe Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany
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41
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Pierce EC, Dutton RJ. Putting microbial interactions back into community contexts. Curr Opin Microbiol 2022; 65:56-63. [PMID: 34739927 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2021.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Microbial interactions are key aspects of the biology of microbiomes. Recently, there has been a shift in the field towards studying interactions in more representative contexts, whether using multispecies model microbial communities or by looking at interactions in situ. Across diverse microbial systems, these studies have begun to identify common interaction mechanisms. These mechanisms include interactions related to toxic molecules, nutrient competition and cross-feeding, access to metals, signaling pathways, pH changes, and interactions within biofilms. Leveraging technological innovations, many of these studies have used an interdisciplinary approach combining genetic, metabolomic, imaging, and/or microfluidic techniques to gain insight into mechanisms of microbial interactions and into the impact of these interactions on microbiomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily C Pierce
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Rachel J Dutton
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, USA.
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42
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Visualizing the Hidden Half: Plant-Microbe Interactions in the Rhizosphere. mSystems 2021; 6:e0076521. [PMID: 34519527 PMCID: PMC8547458 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00765-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant roots and the associated rhizosphere constitute a dynamic environment that fosters numerous intra- and interkingdom interactions, including metabolite exchange between plants and soil mediated by root exudates and the rhizosphere microbiome. These interactions affect plant fitness and performance, soil health, and the belowground carbon budget. Exploring and understanding the molecular mechanisms governing ecosystem responses via rhizosphere interactions allow the rational and sustainable design of future ecosystems. However, visualizing the plant root system architecture with spatially resolved root exudate and microbiome profiles along the root in its native state remains an ambitious grand challenge in rhizosphere biology. To address this challenge, we developed a three-dimensional (3D) root cartography platform to accurately visualize molecular and microbial constituents and their interactions in the root-rhizosphere zone.
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43
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Du JX, Li Y, Ur-Rehman S, Mukhtar I, Yin Z, Dong H, Wang H, Zhang X, Gao Z, Zhao X, Xin X, Ding X. Synergistically promoting plant health by harnessing synthetic microbial communities and prebiotics. iScience 2021; 24:102918. [PMID: 34430808 PMCID: PMC8365361 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Soil-borne diseases cause serious economic losses in agriculture. Managing diseases with microbial preparations is an excellent approach to soil-borne disease prevention. However, microbial preparations often exhibit unstable effects, limiting their large-scale application. This review introduces and summarizes disease-suppressive soils, the relationship between carbon sources and the microbial community, and the application of human microbial preparation concepts to plant microbial preparations. We also propose an innovative synthetic microbial community assembly strategy with synergistic prebiotics to promote healthy plant growth and resistance to disease. In this review, a new approach is proposed to improve traditional microbial preparations; provide a better understanding of the relationships among carbon sources, beneficial microorganisms, and plants; and lay a theoretical foundation for developing new microbial preparations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianfeng X. Du
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology of Vegetable Diseases and Insect Pests, College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, P. R. China
| | - Yang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology of Vegetable Diseases and Insect Pests, College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, P. R. China
| | - Saif- Ur-Rehman
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology of Vegetable Diseases and Insect Pests, College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, P. R. China
| | - Irum Mukhtar
- Institute of Oceanography, Minjiang University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Ziyi Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology of Vegetable Diseases and Insect Pests, College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, P. R. China
| | - Hansong Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology of Vegetable Diseases and Insect Pests, College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, P. R. China
| | - Hongfeng Wang
- Shandong Pengbo Biotechnology Co., LTD, Taian 271018, China
| | - Xiaoying Zhang
- Shandong Pengbo Biotechnology Co., LTD, Taian 271018, China
| | - Zheng Gao
- College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, P.R. China
| | - Xiangyu Zhao
- College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, P.R. China
| | - Xiufang Xin
- Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Science and Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and CAS John Innes Centre of Excellence for Plant and Microbial Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinhua Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology of Vegetable Diseases and Insect Pests, College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, P. R. China
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44
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Chaffron S, Delage E, Budinich M, Vintache D, Henry N, Nef C, Ardyna M, Zayed AA, Junger PC, Galand PE, Lovejoy C, Murray AE, Sarmento H, Acinas SG, Babin M, Iudicone D, Jaillon O, Karsenti E, Wincker P, Karp-Boss L, Sullivan MB, Bowler C, de Vargas C, Eveillard D. Environmental vulnerability of the global ocean epipelagic plankton community interactome. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabg1921. [PMID: 34452910 PMCID: PMC8397264 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg1921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Marine plankton form complex communities of interacting organisms at the base of the food web, which sustain oceanic biogeochemical cycles and help regulate climate. Although global surveys are starting to reveal ecological drivers underlying planktonic community structure and predicted climate change responses, it is unclear how community-scale species interactions will be affected by climate change. Here, we leveraged Tara Oceans sampling to infer a global ocean cross-domain plankton co-occurrence network-the community interactome-and used niche modeling to assess its vulnerabilities to environmental change. Globally, this revealed a plankton interactome self-organized latitudinally into marine biomes (Trades, Westerlies, Polar) and more connected poleward. Integrated niche modeling revealed biome-specific community interactome responses to environmental change and forecasted the most affected lineages for each community. These results provide baseline approaches to assess community structure and organismal interactions under climate scenarios while identifying plausible plankton bioindicators for ocean monitoring of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Chaffron
- Université de Nantes, CNRS UMR 6004, LS2N, F-44000 Nantes, France.
- Research Federation for the study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara Oceans, Paris, France
| | - Erwan Delage
- Université de Nantes, CNRS UMR 6004, LS2N, F-44000 Nantes, France
- Research Federation for the study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara Oceans, Paris, France
| | - Marko Budinich
- Research Federation for the study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara Oceans, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire Adaptation et Diversité en Milieu Marin, Station Biologique de Roscoff, 29680 Roscoff, France
| | - Damien Vintache
- Université de Nantes, CNRS UMR 6004, LS2N, F-44000 Nantes, France
| | - Nicolas Henry
- Research Federation for the study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara Oceans, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire Adaptation et Diversité en Milieu Marin, Station Biologique de Roscoff, 29680 Roscoff, France
| | - Charlotte Nef
- Research Federation for the study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara Oceans, Paris, France
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure (IBENS), École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Université Paris, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Mathieu Ardyna
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, LOV, F-06230, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Paris, France
| | - Ahmed A Zayed
- Department of Microbiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Pedro C Junger
- Department of Hydrobiology, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), Rodovia Washington Luiz, 13565-905 São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Pierre E Galand
- Research Federation for the study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara Oceans, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Ecogéochimie des Environnements Benthiques, LECOB, Banyuls-sur-Mer, 66500 Paris, France
| | - Connie Lovejoy
- Département de biologie, Faculté des sciences et Institut de biologie intégrative et des systèmes (IBIS) 1030, ave de la Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Alison E Murray
- Division of Earth and Ecosystem Science, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV 89512, USA
| | - Hugo Sarmento
- Department of Hydrobiology, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), Rodovia Washington Luiz, 13565-905 São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Silvia G Acinas
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC), Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Marcel Babin
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, LOV, F-06230, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Paris, France
- Takuvik International Research Laboratory, Université Laval and CNRS, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Daniele Iudicone
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Naples 80121, Italy
| | - Olivier Jaillon
- Research Federation for the study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara Oceans, Paris, France
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut François Jacob, CEA, CNRS, Université Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, Evry, 91057 Paris, France
| | - Eric Karsenti
- Research Federation for the study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara Oceans, Paris, France
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure (IBENS), École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Université Paris, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Patrick Wincker
- Research Federation for the study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara Oceans, Paris, France
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut François Jacob, CEA, CNRS, Université Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, Evry, 91057 Paris, France
| | - Lee Karp-Boss
- School of Marine Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA
| | - Matthew B Sullivan
- Department of Microbiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Chris Bowler
- Research Federation for the study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara Oceans, Paris, France
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure (IBENS), École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Université Paris, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Colomban de Vargas
- Research Federation for the study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara Oceans, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire Adaptation et Diversité en Milieu Marin, Station Biologique de Roscoff, 29680 Roscoff, France
| | - Damien Eveillard
- Université de Nantes, CNRS UMR 6004, LS2N, F-44000 Nantes, France
- Research Federation for the study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara Oceans, Paris, France
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45
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Smercina DN, Bailey VL, Hofmockel KS. Micro on a macroscale: relating microbial-scale soil processes to global ecosystem function. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2021; 97:6315324. [PMID: 34223869 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiab091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Soil microorganisms play a key role in driving major biogeochemical cycles and in global responses to climate change. However, understanding and predicting the behavior and function of these microorganisms remains a grand challenge for soil ecology due in part to the microscale complexity of soils. It is becoming increasingly clear that understanding the microbial perspective is vital to accurately predicting global processes. Here, we discuss the microbial perspective including the microbial habitat as it relates to measurement and modeling of ecosystem processes. We argue that clearly defining and quantifying the size, distribution and sphere of influence of microhabitats is crucial to managing microbial activity at the ecosystem scale. This can be achieved using controlled and hierarchical sampling designs. Model microbial systems can provide key data needed to integrate microhabitats into ecosystem models, while adapting soil sampling schemes and statistical methods can allow us to collect microbially-focused data. Quantifying soil processes, like biogeochemical cycles, from a microbial perspective will allow us to more accurately predict soil functions and address long-standing unknowns in soil ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darian N Smercina
- Biological Sciences Division, Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, 3335 Innovation Blvd, Richland, WA, 99354, USA
| | - Vanessa L Bailey
- Biological Sciences Division, Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, 3335 Innovation Blvd, Richland, WA, 99354, USA
| | - Kirsten S Hofmockel
- Biological Sciences Division, Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, 3335 Innovation Blvd, Richland, WA, 99354, USA.,Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, 716 Farm House Ln, Ames, IA 50011, USA
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46
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Leggieri PA, Liu Y, Hayes M, Connors B, Seppälä S, O'Malley MA, Venturelli OS. Integrating Systems and Synthetic Biology to Understand and Engineer Microbiomes. Annu Rev Biomed Eng 2021; 23:169-201. [PMID: 33781078 PMCID: PMC8277735 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-bioeng-082120-022836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Microbiomes are complex and ubiquitous networks of microorganisms whose seemingly limitless chemical transformations could be harnessed to benefit agriculture, medicine, and biotechnology. The spatial and temporal changes in microbiome composition and function are influenced by a multitude of molecular and ecological factors. This complexity yields both versatility and challenges in designing synthetic microbiomes and perturbing natural microbiomes in controlled, predictable ways. In this review, we describe factors that give rise to emergent spatial and temporal microbiome properties and the meta-omics and computational modeling tools that can be used to understand microbiomes at the cellular and system levels. We also describe strategies for designing and engineering microbiomes to enhance or build novel functions. Throughout the review, we discuss key knowledge and technology gaps for elucidating the networks and deciphering key control points for microbiome engineering, and highlight examples where multiple omics and modeling approaches can be integrated to address these gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick A Leggieri
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA;
| | - Yiyi Liu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA;
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
| | - Madeline Hayes
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA;
| | - Bryce Connors
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA;
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
| | - Susanna Seppälä
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA;
| | - Michelle A O'Malley
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA;
| | - Ophelia S Venturelli
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA;
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
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47
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Wright ES, Gupta R, Vetsigian KH. Multi-stable bacterial communities exhibit extreme sensitivity to initial conditions. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2021; 97:6280976. [PMID: 34021563 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiab073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial communities can have dramatically different compositions even among similar environments. This might be due to the existence of multiple alternative stable states, yet there exists little experimental evidence supporting this possibility. Here, we gathered a large collection of absolute population abundances capturing population dynamics in one- to four-strain communities of soil bacteria with a complex life cycle in a feast-or-famine environment. This dataset led to several observations: (i) some pairwise competitions resulted in bistability with a separatrix near a 1:1 initial ratio across a range of population densities; (ii) bistability propagated to multi-stability in multispecies communities; and (iii) replicate microbial communities reached different stable states when starting close to initial conditions separating basins of attraction, indicating finite-sized regions where the dynamics are unpredictable. The generalized Lotka-Volterra equations qualitatively captured most competition outcomes but were unable to quantitatively recapitulate the observed dynamics. This was partly due to complex and diverse growth dynamics in monocultures that ranged from Allee effects to nonmonotonic behaviors. Overall, our results highlight that multi-stability might be generic in multispecies communities and, combined with ecological noise, can lead to unpredictable community assembly, even in simple environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik S Wright
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
| | - Raveena Gupta
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Kalin H Vetsigian
- Department of Bacteriology and Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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48
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Yee MO, Kim P, Li Y, Singh AK, Northen TR, Chakraborty R. Specialized Plant Growth Chamber Designs to Study Complex Rhizosphere Interactions. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:625752. [PMID: 33841353 PMCID: PMC8032546 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.625752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The rhizosphere is a dynamic ecosystem shaped by complex interactions between plant roots, soil, microbial communities and other micro- and macro-fauna. Although studied for decades, critical gaps exist in the study of plant roots, the rhizosphere microbiome and the soil system surrounding roots, partly due to the challenges associated with measuring and parsing these spatiotemporal interactions in complex heterogeneous systems such as soil. To overcome the challenges associated with in situ study of rhizosphere interactions, specialized plant growth chamber systems have been developed that mimic the natural growth environment. This review discusses the currently available lab-based systems ranging from widely known rhizotrons to other emerging devices designed to allow continuous monitoring and non-destructive sampling of the rhizosphere ecosystems in real-time throughout the developmental stages of a plant. We categorize them based on the major rhizosphere processes it addresses and identify their unique challenges as well as advantages. We find that while some design elements are shared among different systems (e.g., size exclusion membranes), most of the systems are bespoke and speaks to the intricacies and specialization involved in unraveling the details of rhizosphere processes. We also discuss what we describe as the next generation of growth chamber employing the latest technology as well as the current barriers they face. We conclude with a perspective on the current knowledge gaps in the rhizosphere which can be filled by innovative chamber designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mon Oo Yee
- Climate and Ecosystem Sciences, Earth and Environmental Sciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Peter Kim
- CBRN Defense and Energy Technologies, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA, United States
| | - Yifan Li
- Climate and Ecosystem Sciences, Earth and Environmental Sciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Anup K. Singh
- CBRN Defense and Energy Technologies, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA, United States
| | - Trent R. Northen
- The DOE Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Romy Chakraborty
- Climate and Ecosystem Sciences, Earth and Environmental Sciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
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49
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Lui LM, Majumder ELW, Smith HJ, Carlson HK, von Netzer F, Fields MW, Stahl DA, Zhou J, Hazen TC, Baliga NS, Adams PD, Arkin AP. Mechanism Across Scales: A Holistic Modeling Framework Integrating Laboratory and Field Studies for Microbial Ecology. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:642422. [PMID: 33841364 PMCID: PMC8024649 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.642422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last century, leaps in technology for imaging, sampling, detection, high-throughput sequencing, and -omics analyses have revolutionized microbial ecology to enable rapid acquisition of extensive datasets for microbial communities across the ever-increasing temporal and spatial scales. The present challenge is capitalizing on our enhanced abilities of observation and integrating diverse data types from different scales, resolutions, and disciplines to reach a causal and mechanistic understanding of how microbial communities transform and respond to perturbations in the environment. This type of causal and mechanistic understanding will make predictions of microbial community behavior more robust and actionable in addressing microbially mediated global problems. To discern drivers of microbial community assembly and function, we recognize the need for a conceptual, quantitative framework that connects measurements of genomic potential, the environment, and ecological and physical forces to rates of microbial growth at specific locations. We describe the Framework for Integrated, Conceptual, and Systematic Microbial Ecology (FICSME), an experimental design framework for conducting process-focused microbial ecology studies that incorporates biological, chemical, and physical drivers of a microbial system into a conceptual model. Through iterative cycles that advance our understanding of the coupling across scales and processes, we can reliably predict how perturbations to microbial systems impact ecosystem-scale processes or vice versa. We describe an approach and potential applications for using the FICSME to elucidate the mechanisms of globally important ecological and physical processes, toward attaining the goal of predicting the structure and function of microbial communities in chemically complex natural environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M. Lui
- Division of Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Erica L.-W. Majumder
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Heidi J. Smith
- Center for Biofilm Engineering, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United States
| | - Hans K. Carlson
- Division of Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Frederick von Netzer
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Matthew W. Fields
- Center for Biofilm Engineering, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United States
| | - David A. Stahl
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Jizhong Zhou
- Institute for Environmental Genomics, Department of Microbiology & Plant Biology, School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, United States
| | - Terry C. Hazen
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | | | - Paul D. Adams
- Division of Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Adam P. Arkin
- Division of Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
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50
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French E, Kaplan I, Iyer-Pascuzzi A, Nakatsu CH, Enders L. Emerging strategies for precision microbiome management in diverse agroecosystems. NATURE PLANTS 2021; 7:256-267. [PMID: 33686226 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-020-00830-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Substantial efforts to characterize the structural and functional diversity of soil, plant and insect-associated microbial communities have illuminated the complex interacting domains of crop-associated microbiomes that contribute to agroecosystem health. As a result, plant-associated microorganisms have emerged as an untapped resource for combating challenges to agricultural sustainability. However, despite growing interest in maximizing microbial functions for crop production, resource efficiency and stress resistance, research has struggled to harness the beneficial properties of agricultural microbiomes to improve crop performance. Here, we introduce the historical arc of agricultural microbiome research, highlighting current progress and emerging strategies for intentional microbiome manipulation to enhance crop performance and sustainability. We synthesize current practices and limitations to managing agricultural microbiomes and identify key knowledge gaps in our understanding of microbe-assisted crop production. Finally, we propose research priorities that embrace a holistic view of crop microbiomes for achieving precision microbiome management that is tailored, predictive and integrative in diverse agricultural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth French
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Ian Kaplan
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Anjali Iyer-Pascuzzi
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Cindy H Nakatsu
- Department of Agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Laramy Enders
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
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