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Rangel LI, Leveau JHJ. Applied microbiology of the phyllosphere. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:211. [PMID: 38358509 PMCID: PMC10869387 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-024-13042-4] [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] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
The phyllosphere, or plant leaf surface, represents a microbial ecosystem of considerable size, holding extraordinary biodiversity and enormous potential for the discovery of new products, tools, and applications in biotechnology, agriculture, medicine, and elsewhere. This mini-review highlights the applied microbiology of the phyllosphere as an original field of study concerning itself with the genes, gene products, natural compounds, and traits that underlie phyllosphere-specific adaptations and services that have commercial and economic value for current or future innovation. Examples include plant-growth-promoting and disease-suppressive phyllobacteria, probiotics and fermented foods that support human health, as well as microbials that remedy foliar contamination with airborne pollutants, residual pesticides, or plastics. Phyllosphere microbes promote plant biomass conversion into compost, renewable energy, animal feed, or fiber. They produce foodstuffs such as thickening agents and sugar substitutes, industrial-grade biosurfactants, novel antibiotics and cancer drugs, as well as enzymes used as food additives or freezing agents. Furthermore, new developments in DNA sequence-based profiling of leaf-associated microbial communities allow for surveillance approaches in the context of food safety and security, for example, to detect enteric human pathogens on leafy greens, predict plant disease outbreaks, and intercept plant pathogens and pests on internationally traded goods. KEY POINTS: • Applied phyllosphere microbiology concerns leaf-specific adaptations for economic value • Phyllobioprospecting searches the phyllosphere microbiome for product development • Phyllobiomonitoring tracks phyllosphere microbial profiles for early risk detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena I Rangel
- Cell & Molecular Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Dundee, Scotland, UK.
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
| | - Johan H J Leveau
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
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Zeng H, Hu W, Liu G, Xu H, Wei Y, Zhang J, Shi H. Microbiome-wide association studies between phyllosphere microbiota and ionome highlight the beneficial symbiosis of Lactococcus lactis in alleviating aluminium in cassava. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2022; 171:66-74. [PMID: 34971956 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2021.12.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The phyllosphere is one of the most abundant habitats for global microbiota. The ionome is the composition of mineral elements in plants. The correlation between phyllosphere microbiota and the ionome remains elusive in plants, especially in the most important tropical crop cassava. In this study, microbiome-wide association studies (MWASs) of thirty varieties were performed to reveal the association between phyllosphere microbiota and ionomic variations in cassava. Annotation of metagenomic species identified some species that were significantly correlated with ionomic variations in cassava. Among them, Lactococcus lactis abundance was negatively associated with leaf aluminium (Al) levels but positively related to leaf potassium (K) levels. Notably, both the reference and isolated L. lactis showed strong binding capacity to Al. Further bacterial transplantation of isolated L. lactis could significantly decrease endogenous Al levels but increase K levels in cassava, and it can also lead to increased citric acid and lactic acid levels as well as higher transcript levels of K uptake-related genes. Taken together, this study reveals the involvement of phyllosphere microbiota in ionomic variation in cassava, and the correlation between L. lactis abundance and Al and K levels provides novel insights into alleviating Al accumulation and promoting K uptake simultaneously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongqiu Zeng
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresources, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan province, 570228, China
| | - Wei Hu
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Resources of Tropical Crops, Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Xueyuan Road 4, Haikou, Hainan province, 571101, China
| | - Guoyin Liu
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresources, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan province, 570228, China
| | - Haoran Xu
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresources, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan province, 570228, China
| | - Yunxie Wei
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresources, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan province, 570228, China
| | - Jiachao Zhang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan province, 570228, China.
| | - Haitao Shi
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresources, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan province, 570228, China.
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Relationships between Foliar Fungal Endophyte Communities and Ecophysiological Traits of CAM and C3 Epiphytic Bromeliads in a Neotropical Rainforest. DIVERSITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/d12100378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Vascular epiphytes contribute up to 35% of the plant diversity and foliar biomass of flowering plants. The family Bromeliaceae is a monophyletic group of plants native to the Neotropics. Epiphytic bromeliads form associations with distinct groups of organisms but their relationship with foliar fungal endophytes remain underexplored. In this study we examined the relationship of foliar fungal endophytes to host photosynthetic pathways and associated ecophysiological traits. We sampled the fungal endophyte communities of 67 host individuals in six epiphytic bromeliad species differing in C3 and crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) photosynthetic pathways. We tested whether endophyte assemblages were associated with ecophysiological leaf traits related to host photosynthetic pathways. Our results indicate that (1) C3 and CAM bromeliads host dissimilar endophyte assemblages, (2) endophyte communities in C3 bromeliads are characterized by variable relative abundances of fungal orders; conversely, CAM associated endophyte communities were characterized by consistent relative abundances of fungal orders, and (3) endophyte communities in bromeliads are distributed along a continuum of leaf toughness and leaf water content. Taken together, our study suggests that host physiology and associated ecophysiological traits of epiphytic bromeliads may represent biotic filters for communities of fungal endophytes in the tropics.
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Ladino G, Ospina‐Bautista F, Estévez Varón J, Jerabkova L, Kratina P. Ecosystem services provided by bromeliad plants: A systematic review. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:7360-7372. [PMID: 31380056 PMCID: PMC6662323 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The unprecedented loss of biological diversity has negative impacts on ecosystems and the associated benefits which they provide to humans. Bromeliads have high diversity throughout the Neotropics, but they have been negatively affected by habitat loss and fragmentation, climate change, invasive species, and commercialization for ornamental purpose. These plants provide direct benefits to the human society, and they also form microecosystems in which accumulated water and nutrients support the communities of aquatic and terrestrial species, thus maintaining local diversity. We performed a systematic review of the contribution of bromeliads to ecosystem services across their native geographical distribution. We showed that bromeliads provide a range of ecosystem services such as maintenance of biodiversity, community structure, nutrient cycling, and the provisioning of food and water. Moreover, bromeliads can regulate the spread of diseases, and water and carbon cycling, and they have the potential to become important sources of chemical and pharmaceutical products. The majority of this research was performed in Brazil, but future research from other Neotropical countries with a high diversity of bromeliads would fill the current knowledge gaps and increase the generality of these findings. This systematic review identified that future research should focus on provisioning, regulating, and cultural services that have been currently overlooked. This would enhance our understanding of how bromeliad diversity contributes to human welfare, and the negative consequences that loss of bromeliad plants can have on communities of other species and the healthy functioning of the entire ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geraldine Ladino
- Departamento de Ciencias BiológicasUniversidad de CaldasManizalesColombia
| | | | | | | | - Pavel Kratina
- School of Biological and Chemical SciencesQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUK
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Bernabé TN, de Omena PM, Santos VPD, de Siqueira VM, de Oliveira VM, Romero GQ. Warming weakens facilitative interactions between decomposers and detritivores, and modifies freshwater ecosystem functioning. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:3170-3186. [PMID: 29485732 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Warming is among the major drivers of changes in biotic interactions and, in turn, ecosystem functioning. The decomposition process occurs in a chain of facilitative interactions between detritivores and microorganisms. It remains unclear, however, what effect warming may have on the interrelations between detritivores and microorganisms, and the consequences for the functioning of natural freshwater ecosystems. To address these gaps, we performed a field experiment using tank bromeliads and their associated aquatic fauna. We manipulated the presence of bacteria and detritivorous macroinvertebrates (control, "bacteria," and "bacteria + macroinvertebrates") under ambient and warming scenarios, and analyzed the effects on the microorganisms and ecosystem functioning (detritus mass loss, colored dissolved organic matter, and nitrogen flux). We applied antibiotic solution to eliminate or reduce bacteria from control bromeliads. After 60 days incubation, bacterial density was higher in the presence than in the absence of macroinvertebrates. In the absence of macroinvertebrates, temperature did not influence bacterial density. However, in the presence of macroinvertebrates, bacterial density decreased by 54% with warming. The magnitude of the effects of organisms on ecosystem functioning was higher in the combined presence of bacteria and macroinvertebrates. However, warming reduced the overall positive effects of detritivores on bacterial density, which in turn, cascaded down to ecosystem functioning by decreasing decomposition and nitrogen flux. These results show the existence of facilitative mechanisms between bacteria and detritivores in the decomposition process, which might collapse due to warming. Detritivores seem to contribute to nutrient cycling as they facilitate bacterial populations, probably by increasing nutrient input (feces) in the ecosystem. However, increased temperature mitigated these beneficial effects. Our results add to a growing research body that shows that warming can affect the structure of aquatic communities, and highlight the importance of considering the interactive effects between facilitation and climatic drivers on the functioning of freshwater ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago N Bernabé
- Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", São José do Rio Preto, SP, Brasil
- Laboratory of Multitrophic Interactions and Biodiversity (LIMBIO), Department of Animal Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Paula M de Omena
- Laboratory of Multitrophic Interactions and Biodiversity (LIMBIO), Department of Animal Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Viviane Piccin Dos Santos
- Microbial Resources Division, Research Center for Chemistry, Biology and Agriculture (CPQBA), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Virgínia M de Siqueira
- Microbial Resources Division, Research Center for Chemistry, Biology and Agriculture (CPQBA), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Valéria M de Oliveira
- Microbial Resources Division, Research Center for Chemistry, Biology and Agriculture (CPQBA), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Q Romero
- Laboratory of Multitrophic Interactions and Biodiversity (LIMBIO), Department of Animal Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
- Brazilian Research Network on Climate Change (Rede Clima), São Paulo, Brazil
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Pires APF, Leal JDS, Peeters ETHM. Rainfall changes affect the algae dominance in tank bromeliad ecosystems. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0175436. [PMID: 28422988 PMCID: PMC5396887 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change and biodiversity loss have been reported as major disturbances in the biosphere which can trigger changes in the structure and functioning of natural ecosystems. Nonetheless, empirical studies demonstrating how both factors interact to affect shifts in aquatic ecosystems are still unexplored. Here, we experimentally test how changes in rainfall distribution and litter diversity affect the occurrence of the algae-dominated condition in tank bromeliad ecosystems. Tank bromeliads are miniature aquatic ecosystems shaped by the rainwater and allochthonous detritus accumulated in the bases of their leaves. Here, we demonstrated that changes in the rainfall distribution were able to reduce the chlorophyll-a concentration in the water of bromeliad tanks affecting significantly the occurrence of algae-dominated conditions. On the other hand, litter diversity did not affect the algae dominance irrespective to the rainfall scenario. We suggest that rainfall changes may compromise important self-reinforcing mechanisms responsible for maintaining high levels of algae on tank bromeliads ecosystems. We summarized these results into a theoretical model which suggests that tank bromeliads may show two different regimes, determined by the bromeliad ability in taking up nutrients from the water and by the total amount of light entering the tank. We concluded that predicted climate changes might promote regime shifts in tropical aquatic ecosystems by shaping their structure and the relative importance of other regulating factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aliny Patricia Flauzino Pires
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Fundação Brasileira para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Brazilian Research Network on Climate Change—Rede Clima, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juliana da Silva Leal
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Edwin T. H. M. Peeters
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Gonçalves AZ, Mercier H, Oliveira RS, Romero GQ. Trade-off between soluble protein production and nutritional storage in Bromeliaceae. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2016; 118:1199-1208. [PMID: 27578765 PMCID: PMC5091730 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcw174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2016] [Accepted: 06/24/2016] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Bromeliads are able to occupy some of the most nutrient-poor environments especially because they possess absorptive leaf trichomes, leaves organized in rosettes, distinct photosynthetic pathways [C3, Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) or facultative C3-CAM], and may present an epiphytic habit. The more derived features related to these traits are described for the Tillandsioideae subfamily. In this context, the aims of this study were to evaluate how terrestrial predators contribute to the nutrition and performance of bromeliad species, subfamilies and ecophysiological types, whether these species differ in their ecophysiological traits and whether the physiological outcomes are consistent among subfamilies and types (e.g. presence/absence of tank, soil/tank/atmosphere source of nutrients, trichomes/roots access to nutrients). METHODS Isotopic (15N-enriched predator faeces) and physiological methods (analyses of plant protein, amino acids, growth, leaf mass per area and total N incorporated) in greenhouse experiments were used to investigate the ecophysiological contrasts between Tillandsioideae and Bromelioideae, and among ecophysiological types when a predatory anuran contributes to their nutrition. KEY RESULTS It was observed that Bromelioideae had higher concentrations of soluble protein and only one species grew more (Ananas bracteatus), while Tillandsioideae showed higher concentrations of total amino acids, asparagine and did not grow. The ecophysiological types that showed similar protein contents also had similar growth. Additionally, an ordination analysis showed that the subfamilies and ecophysiological types were discrepant considering the results of the total nitrogen incorporated from predators, soluble protein and asparagine concentrations, relative growth rate and leaf mass per area. CONCLUSIONS Bromeliad subfamilies showed a trade-off between two strategies: Tillandsioideae stored nitrogen into amino acids possibly for transamination reactions during nutritional stress and did not grow, whereas Bromelioideae used nitrogen for soluble protein production for immediate utilization, possibly for fast growth. These results highlight that Bromeliaceae evolution may be directly associated with the ability to stock nutrients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Zangirolame Gonçalves
- Pós-graduação em Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), CP 6109, CEP 13083-970, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Helenice Mercier
- Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Rua do Matão, 277, CEP 05508090, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rafael Silva Oliveira
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), CP 6109, CEP 13083-970, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Quevedo Romero
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), CP 6109, CEP 13083-970, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
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Gonçalves AZ, Oliveira RS, Oliveira PS, Romero GQ. Species-Specific Effects of Ant Inhabitants on Bromeliad Nutrition. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0152113. [PMID: 27002980 PMCID: PMC4803186 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0152113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2015] [Accepted: 03/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Predator activities may lead to the accumulation of nutrients in specific areas of terrestrial habitats where they dispose of prey carcasses. In their feeding sites, predators may increase nutrient availability in the soil and favor plant nutrition and growth. However, the translocation of nutrients from one habitat to another may depend on predator identity and diet, as well as on the amount of prey intake. Here we used isotopic (15N) and physiological methods in greenhouse experiments to evaluate the effects of the identity of predatory ants (i.e., the consumption of prey and nest sites) on the nutrition and growth of the bromeliad Quesnelia arvensis. We showed that predatory ants with protein-based nutrition (i.e., Odontomachus hastatus, Gnamptogenys moelleri) improved the performance of their host bromeliads (i.e., increased foliar N, production of soluble proteins and growth). On the other hand, the contribution of Camponotus crassus for the nutritional status of bromeliads did not differ from bromeliads without ants, possibly because this ant does not have arthropod prey as a preferred food source. Our results show, for the first time, that predatory ants can translocate nutrients from one habitat to another within forests, accumulating nutrients in their feeding sites that become available to bromeliads. Additionally, we highlight that ant contribution to plant nutrition may depend on predator identity and its dietary requirements. Nest debris may be especially important for epiphytic and terrestrial bromeliads in nutrient-poor environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Z. Gonçalves
- Pós-graduação em Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), CP 6109, CEP 13083–970, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
- * E-mail:
| | - Rafael S. Oliveira
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), CP 6109, CEP 13083–970, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Paulo S. Oliveira
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), CP 6109, CEP 13083–970, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Q. Romero
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), CP 6109, CEP 13083–970, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
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