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Li F, Chen L, Jia Z, Zhang J, Zhao Z, Han Y, Wang Y. Core microbial taxonomies that maintain high organic carbon content in upland soil. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 939:173300. [PMID: 38810757 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173300] [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: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
The accumulation of soil carbon (C) is crucial for the productivity and ecological function of farmland ecosystems. The balance between microbial carbon dioxide (CO2) emission and fixation determines the sustained accumulation potential of C in soil. Microorganisms involved in this process are highly obscure, thus hindering identification and further application of microorganisms with fertile soil function. In this study, a series of typical upland farmland soils were collected from 29 regions and their microbial community structure and soil C fractions were analyzed. Additionally, the rates of CO2 emission and fixation in each soil were measured. The results showed that the correlation between soil CO2 emissions and the SOC concentration was logarithmic, while that between CO2 fixation and SOC was linear. Bacterial and fungal diversity showed an upward trend with increasing soil C, and their α diversity was significantly correlated with CO2 fixation, but not correlated with CO2 emission. Fungi were more associated with soil C than bacteria, and the strength of linkage with soil C varied among the different phyla of microorganisms. Furthermore, the core microbial taxa in soils with low, medium and high SOC levels were identified by discarding redundant amplicon sequence variants, and their community differentiation was significantly driven by soil CO2 emission and fixation based on Mantel analysis. The high abundance of Chloroflexi, Nitrospirota, Actinobacteria, and Mortierellomycota in core taxa might indicate a high level of SOC level. This study highlights that SOC fluctuations are mainly driven by the core microbial taxa, rather than all microbial taxa in the agricultural system. Our research sheds light on the targeted regulation of the soil microbial community structure in upland farmland for soil fertility enhancement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Li
- College of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Lin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Zhongjun Jia
- Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130102, China
| | - Jiabao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Zhanhui Zhao
- School of Survey and Urban Spatial Information, Henan University of Urban Construction, Pingdingshan 467021, China
| | - Yanlai Han
- College of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China; Co-construction State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China.
| | - Yi Wang
- College of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China; Co-construction State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China.
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Gu W, Wu S, Liu X, Wang L, Wang X, Qiu Q, Wang G. Algal-bacterial consortium promotes carbon sink formation in saline environment. J Adv Res 2024; 60:111-125. [PMID: 37597746 PMCID: PMC11156706 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2023.08.004] [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: 05/28/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The level of atmospheric CO2 has continuously been increasing and the resulting greenhouse effects are receiving attention globally. Carbon removal from the atmosphere occurs naturally in various ecosystems. Among them, saline environments contribute significantly to the global carbon cycle. Carbonate deposits in the sediments of salt lakes are omnipresent, and the biological effects, especially driven by halophilic microalgae and bacteria, on carbonate formation remain to be elucidated. OBJECTIVES The present study aims to characterize the carbonates formed in saline environments and demonstrate the mechanisms underlying biological-driven CO2 removal via microalgal-bacterial consortium. METHODS The carbonates naturally formed in saline environments were collected and analyzed. Two saline representative organisms, the photosynthetic microalga Dunaliella salina and its mutualistic halophilic bacteria Nesterenkonia sp. were isolated from the inhabiting saline environment and co-cultivated to study their biological effects on carbonates precipitation and isotopic composition. During this process, electrochemical parameters and Ca2+ flux, and expression of genes related to CaCO3 formation were analyzed. Genome sequencing and metagenomic analysis were conducted to provide molecular evidence. RESULTS The results showed that natural saline sediments are enriched with CaCO3 and enrichment of genes related to photosynthesis and ureolysis. The co-cultivation stimulated 54.54% increase in CaCO3 precipitation and significantly promoted the absorption of external CO2 by 49.63%. A pH gradient was formed between the bacteria and algae culture, creating 150.22 mV of electronic potential, which might promote Ca2+ movement toward D. salina cells. Based on the results of lab-scale induction and 13C analysis, a theoretical calculation indicates a non-negligible amount of 0.16 and 2.3 Tg C/year carbon sequestration in China and global saline lakes, respectively. CONCLUSION The combined effects of these two typical representative species have contributed to the carbon sequestration in saline environments, by promoting Ca2+ influx and increase of pH via microalgal and bacterial metabolic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhui Gu
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Songcui Wu
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Xuehua Liu
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Lijun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Xulei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Qi Qiu
- Tianjin Changlu Hangu Saltern Co., LTD, 300480, China
| | - Guangce Wang
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao 266071, China.
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3
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Fekete G, Sebők A, Klátyik S, Varga ZI, Grósz J, Czinkota I, Székács A, Aleksza L. Comparative Analysis of Laboratory-Based and Spectroscopic Methods Used to Estimate the Algal Density of Chlorella vulgaris. Microorganisms 2024; 12:1050. [PMID: 38930433 PMCID: PMC11205756 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12061050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Chlorella vulgaris is of great importance in numerous exploratory or industrial applications (e.g., medicals, food, and feed additives). Rapid quantification of algal biomass is crucial in photobioreactors for the optimization of nutrient management and the estimation of production. The main goal of this study is to provide a simple, rapid, and not-resource-intensive estimation method for determining the algal density of C. vulgaris according to the measured parameters using UV-Vis spectrophotometry. Comparative assessment measurements were conducted with seven different methods (e.g., filtration, evaporation, chlorophyll a extraction, and detection of optical density and fluorescence) to determine algal biomass. By analyzing the entire spectra of diluted algae samples, optimal wavelengths were determined through a stepwise series of linear regression analyses by a novel correlation scanning method, facilitating accurate parameter estimation. Nonlinear formulas for spectrometry-based estimation processes were derived for each parameter. As a result, a general formula for biomass concentration estimation was developed, with recommendations for suitable measuring devices based on algae concentration levels. New values for magnesium content and the average single-cell weight of C. vulgaris were established, in addition to the development of a rapid, semiautomated cell counting method, improving efficiency and accuracy in algae quantification for cultivation and biotechnology applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- György Fekete
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Páter Károly u. 1, H-2100 Gödöllő, Hungary; (G.F.); (A.S.); (S.K.); (Z.I.V.); (J.G.); (I.C.); (L.A.)
| | - András Sebők
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Páter Károly u. 1, H-2100 Gödöllő, Hungary; (G.F.); (A.S.); (S.K.); (Z.I.V.); (J.G.); (I.C.); (L.A.)
| | - Szandra Klátyik
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Páter Károly u. 1, H-2100 Gödöllő, Hungary; (G.F.); (A.S.); (S.K.); (Z.I.V.); (J.G.); (I.C.); (L.A.)
| | - Zsolt István Varga
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Páter Károly u. 1, H-2100 Gödöllő, Hungary; (G.F.); (A.S.); (S.K.); (Z.I.V.); (J.G.); (I.C.); (L.A.)
| | - János Grósz
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Páter Károly u. 1, H-2100 Gödöllő, Hungary; (G.F.); (A.S.); (S.K.); (Z.I.V.); (J.G.); (I.C.); (L.A.)
| | - Imre Czinkota
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Páter Károly u. 1, H-2100 Gödöllő, Hungary; (G.F.); (A.S.); (S.K.); (Z.I.V.); (J.G.); (I.C.); (L.A.)
| | - András Székács
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Páter Károly u. 1, H-2100 Gödöllő, Hungary; (G.F.); (A.S.); (S.K.); (Z.I.V.); (J.G.); (I.C.); (L.A.)
| | - László Aleksza
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Páter Károly u. 1, H-2100 Gödöllő, Hungary; (G.F.); (A.S.); (S.K.); (Z.I.V.); (J.G.); (I.C.); (L.A.)
- Profikomp Environmental Technologies Inc., Kühne Ede u. 7, H-2100 Gödöllő, Hungary
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4
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Joseph J, Ray JG. A critical review of soil algae as a crucial soil biological component of high ecological and economic significance. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2024; 60:229-253. [PMID: 38502571 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13444] [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: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Aero-terrestrial algae are ecologically and economically valuable bioresources contributing to carbon sequestration, sustenance of soil health, and fertility. Compared to aquatic algae, the literature on subaerial algae is minimal, including studies of distinctive habitats such as forest soils, agricultural fields, deserts, polar regions, specific subaerial zones, artificial structures, and tropical soils. The primary goal here was to identify the gaps and scope of research on such algae. Accordingly, the literature was analyzed per sub-themes, such as the "nature of current research data on terrestrial algae," "methodological approaches," "diversity," "environmental relationships," "ecological roles," and "economic significance." The review showed there is a high diversity of algae in soils, especially members belonging to the Cyanophyta (Cyanobacteria) and Chlorophyta. Algal distributions in terrestrial environments depend on the microhabitat conditions, and many species of soil algae are sensitive to specific soil conditions. The ecological significance of soil algae includes primary production, the release of biochemical stimulants and plant growth promoters into soils, nitrogen fixation, solubilization of minerals, and the enhancement and maintenance of soil fertility. Since aero-terrestrial habitats are generally stressed environments, algae of such environments can be rich in rare metabolites and natural products. For example, epilithic soil algae use wet adhesive molecules to fix them firmly on the substratum. Exploring the ecological roles and economic utility of soil and other subaerial algae could be helpful for the development of algae-based industries and for achieving sustainable soil management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jebin Joseph
- Department of Botany, St Berchmans College, Changanacherry, Kerala, India
- Laboratory of Ecology and Plant Science, School of Biosciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India
| | - Joseph George Ray
- School of Biosciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India
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5
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Zhang LX, Zhou B, Song B, Zhao C, Adams JM, Xu Z. Significant carbon isotopic fractionation during early formation of biological soil crusts with indications for dryland carbon cycling. iScience 2024; 27:109114. [PMID: 38375221 PMCID: PMC10875157 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109114] [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: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Clarifying the accumulation and decomposition of soil organic carbon (SOC) is crucial for comprehending carbon cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. SOC enrichment and decomposition lead to the fractionation of stable carbon isotopes, a complex process influenced by various factors, including microbes. However, this fractionation process during early soil formation and the role of microorganisms remain poorly explored. This study investigated the relative composition of stable carbon isotopes (δ13C) of recently formed biological soil crusts (BSCs) on stabilized sand dunes in the Tengger Desert, Northern China. A notable increase in δ13C was observed during early BSC development, likely driven by cyanobacteria's direct fixation of CO2. Yet, δ13C values of BSCs gradually declined, approaching those of soils under native vegetation, probably linked to microbial succession within the BSCs. This finding highlights the potential microbial influence on early soil carbon turnover and underscores the effectiveness of isotope tracers for studying this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Xuan Zhang
- School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Boulevard, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Bin Zhou
- School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Boulevard, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Bin Song
- School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Boulevard, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Cheng Zhao
- School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Boulevard, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Jonathan M. Adams
- School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Boulevard, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Zhiwei Xu
- School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Boulevard, Nanjing 210023, China
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6
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Alsante A, Thornton DCO, Brooks SD. Effect of Aggregation and Molecular Size on the Ice Nucleation Efficiency of Proteins. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:4594-4605. [PMID: 38408303 PMCID: PMC10938890 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c06835] [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: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Aerosol acts as ice-nucleating particles (INPs) by catalyzing the formation of ice crystals in clouds at temperatures above the homogeneous nucleation threshold (-38 °C). In this study, we show that the immersion mode ice nucleation efficiency of the environmentally relevant protein, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO), occurs at temperatures between -6.8 and -31.6 °C. Further, we suggest that this range is controlled by the RuBisCO concentration and protein aggregation. The warmest median nucleation temperature (-7.9 ± 0.8 °C) was associated with the highest concentration of RuBisCO (2 × 10-1 mg mL-1) and large aggregates with a hydrodynamic diameter of ∼103 nm. We investigated four additional chemically and structurally diverse proteins, plus the tripeptide glutathione, and found that each of them was a less effective INP than RuBisCO. Ice nucleation efficiency of the proteins was independent of the size (molecular weight) for the five proteins investigated in this study. In contrast to previous work, increasing the concentration and degree of aggregation did not universally increase ice nucleation efficiency. RuBisCO was the exception to this generalization, although the underlying molecular mechanism determining why aggregated RuBisCO is such an effective INP remains elusive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa
N. Alsante
- Department
of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Daniel C. O. Thornton
- Department
of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Sarah D. Brooks
- Department
of Atmospheric Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
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7
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Kilner CL, Carrell AA, Wieczynski DJ, Votzke S, DeWitt K, Yammine A, Shaw J, Pelletier DA, Weston DJ, Gibert JP. Temperature and CO 2 interactively drive shifts in the compositional and functional structure of peatland protist communities. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17203. [PMID: 38433341 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17203] [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: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Microbes affect the global carbon cycle that influences climate change and are in turn influenced by environmental change. Here, we use data from a long-term whole-ecosystem warming experiment at a boreal peatland to answer how temperature and CO2 jointly influence communities of abundant, diverse, yet poorly understood, non-fungi microbial Eukaryotes (protists). These microbes influence ecosystem function directly through photosynthesis and respiration, and indirectly, through predation on decomposers (bacteria and fungi). Using a combination of high-throughput fluid imaging and 18S amplicon sequencing, we report large climate-induced, community-wide shifts in the community functional composition of these microbes (size, shape, and metabolism) that could alter overall function in peatlands. Importantly, we demonstrate a taxonomic convergence but a functional divergence in response to warming and elevated CO2 with most environmental responses being contingent on organismal size: warming effects on functional composition are reversed by elevated CO2 and amplified in larger microbes but not smaller ones. These findings show how the interactive effects of warming and rising CO2 levels could alter the structure and function of peatland microbial food webs-a fragile ecosystem that stores upwards of 25% of all terrestrial carbon and is increasingly threatened by human exploitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher L Kilner
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Alyssa A Carrell
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | | | - Samantha Votzke
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Katrina DeWitt
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Andrea Yammine
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jonathan Shaw
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Dale A Pelletier
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - David J Weston
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jean P Gibert
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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8
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Wu H, Cui H, Fu C, Li R, Qi F, Liu Z, Yang G, Xiao K, Qiao M. Unveiling the crucial role of soil microorganisms in carbon cycling: A review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 909:168627. [PMID: 37977383 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168627] [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: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Soil microorganisms, by actively participating in the decomposition and transformation of organic matter through diverse metabolic pathways, play a pivotal role in carbon cycling within soil systems and contribute to the stabilization of organic carbon, thereby influencing soil carbon storage and turnover. Investigating the processes, mechanisms, and driving factors of soil microbial carbon cycling is crucial for understanding the functionality of terrestrial carbon sinks and effectively addressing climate change. This review comprehensively discusses the role of soil microorganisms in soil carbon cycling from three perspectives: metabolic pathways, microbial communities, and environmental influences. It elucidates the roles of different microbial species in carbon cycling and highlights the impact of microbial interactions and environmental factors on carbon cycling. Through the synthesis of 2171 relevant papers in the Web of Science Core database, we elucidated the ecological community structure, activity, and assembly mechanisms of soil microorganisms crucial to the soil carbon cycle that have been widely analyzed. The integration of soil microbial carbon cycle and its driving factors are vital for accurately predicting and modeling biogeochemical cycles and effectively addressing the challenges posed by global climate change. Such integration is vital for accurately predicting and modeling biogeochemical cycles and effectively addressing the challenges posed by global climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haowei Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Huiling Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Chenxi Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ran Li
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Fengyuan Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhelun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Guang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Keqing Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Min Qiao
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China.
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9
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Shangguan HY, Geisen S, Li ZP, Yao HF, Li G, Breed MF, Scheu S, Sun X. Urban greenspaces shape soil protist communities in a location-specific manner. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 240:117485. [PMID: 37907164 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117485] [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: 08/05/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
The impacts of urbanization on aboveground biodiversity are well studied, and its impact on soil microorganisms are also receiving increased attention. However, the impact of urbanization on the soil protists are hardly investigated. Here, we studied how urbanization and distinct urban greenspaces affect protist communities. We used amplicon sequencing of the18 S rRNA gene of samples from five types of urban greenspaces (parks, greenbelts, industrial areas, residential areas and hospital lawns), neighboring natural forests and agricultural ecosystems in Ningbo, China. We found that urban greenspaces harbored higher protist α-diversity than forests, while protist β-diversity increased from agricultural systems to urban greenspaces to forests. Among the studied driving factors, soil bacterial α- and β-diversity best predicted phagotrophic protist α- and β-diversity in urban greenspaces, while differences in α- and β-diversity of phototrophic protists were best explained by soil carbon-to-nitrogen ratio and fungal β-diversity, respectively. Abiotic factors i.e., total phosphorus and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, best predicted the α- and β-diversity of protist parasites in urban greenspaces, respectively. The results revealed that the composition and drivers of protist communities vary between functional groups and urban ecosystems. Overall, our findings contribute to a better understanding of drivers of soil protist communities and indicate that soil protist communities and associated soil functions could be managed in predictable ways in urban greenspaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua-Yuan Shangguan
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Ningbo Observation and Research Station, Fujian Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecology, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Urban Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, CAS Haixi Industrial Technology Innovation Center in Beilun, Ningbo 315830, China
| | - Stefan Geisen
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology NIOO-KNAW, 6708 PB Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Zhi-Peng Li
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Ningbo Observation and Research Station, Fujian Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecology, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Urban Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, CAS Haixi Industrial Technology Innovation Center in Beilun, Ningbo 315830, China
| | - Hai-Feng Yao
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Ningbo Observation and Research Station, Fujian Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecology, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Urban Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, CAS Haixi Industrial Technology Innovation Center in Beilun, Ningbo 315830, China
| | - Gang Li
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Ningbo Observation and Research Station, Fujian Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecology, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Urban Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, CAS Haixi Industrial Technology Innovation Center in Beilun, Ningbo 315830, China.
| | - Martin F Breed
- College of Science & Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park 5042 SA, Australia
| | - Stefan Scheu
- Johann Friedrich Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073, Göttingen, Germany; Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 1, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Xin Sun
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Ningbo Observation and Research Station, Fujian Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecology, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Urban Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, CAS Haixi Industrial Technology Innovation Center in Beilun, Ningbo 315830, China.
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Bérard A, Crouzet O, Morin S, Pesce S. Improved assessment of the impacts of plant protection products on certain soil ecosystem services requires better consideration of terrestrial microalgae and cyanobacteria. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023:10.1007/s11356-023-31198-w. [PMID: 38010548 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-31198-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
There is growing scientific and societal consciousness that the environmental risks and impacts of plant protection products (PPPs) cannot be properly assessed without considering ecosystem services. However, the science on this issue remains incomplete and fragmented, as recently illustrated in a collective scientific assessment that pointed out the limited knowledge on the risks and impacts of PPPs on soil ecosystem services, which are clearly overlooked. Beside soil ecosystem services, certain key players involved in these services are largely overlooked in the scientific literature on the risks and impacts of PPPs, namely soil microbial photosynthetic communities. Here, we followed the principles of evidence-based logic chain approaches to show the importance of considering these microorganisms when studying the impacts of PPPs on certain services provided by soil ecosystems, with a focus on regulating and maintenance services that play a role in the regulation of baseline flows and extreme events. Terrestrial microalgae and cyanobacteria are ubiquitous photosynthetic microorganisms that, together with other soil micro- and macro-organisms, play key roles in the ecosystem functions that underpin these ecosystem services. There is an extensive literature on the ecotoxicological effects of PPPs on different organisms including soil microorganisms, but studies concerning soil microbial photosynthetic communities are very scarce. However, there is scientific evidence that herbicides can have both direct and indirect impacts on these microbial photosynthetic communities. Given that they play key functional roles, we argue that soil microbial photosynthetic communities warrant greater attention in efforts to assess the environmental risks and impacts of PPPs and, ultimately, help preserve or restore the regulating and maintenance services provided by soil ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annette Bérard
- UMR EMMAH, INRAE, Avignon Université, 84000, Avignon, France
| | - Olivier Crouzet
- OFB, Direction Recherche Et Appui Scientifique, 78610, Auffargis, France
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Geisen S, Lara E, Mitchell E. Contemporary issues, current best practice and ways forward in soil protist ecology. Mol Ecol Resour 2023; 23:1477-1487. [PMID: 37259890 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13819] [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: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Soil protists are increasingly studied due to a release from previous methodological constraints and the acknowledgement of their immense diversity and functional importance in ecosystems. However, these studies often lack sufficient depth in knowledge, which is visible in the form of falsely used terms and false- or over-interpreted data with conclusions that cannot be drawn from the data obtained. As we welcome that also non-experts include protists in their still mostly bacterial and/or fungal-focused studies, our aim here is to help avoid some common errors. We provide suggestions for current terms to use when working on soil protists, like protist instead of protozoa, predator instead of grazer, microorganisms rather than microflora and other terms to be used to describe the prey spectrum of protists. We then highlight some dos and don'ts in soil protist ecology including challenges related to interpreting 18S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing data. We caution against the use of standard bioinformatic settings optimized for bacteria and the uncritical reliance on incomplete and partly erroneous reference databases. We also show why causal inferences cannot be drawn from sequence-based correlation analyses or any sampling/monitoring, study in the field without thorough experimental confirmation and sound understanding of the biology of taxa. Together, we envision this work to help non-experts to more easily include protists in their soil ecology analyses and obtain more reliable interpretations from their protist data and other biodiversity data that, in the end, will contribute to a better understanding of soil ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Geisen
- Laboratory of Nematology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Edward Mitchell
- Laboratory of Soil Biodiversity, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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Li L, Liu Y, Xiao Q, Xiao Z, Meng D, Yang Z, Deng W, Yin H, Liu Z. Dissecting the HGT network of carbon metabolic genes in soil-borne microbiota. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1173748. [PMID: 37485539 PMCID: PMC10361621 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1173748] [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: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The microbiota inhabiting soil plays a significant role in essential life-supporting element cycles. Here, we investigated the occurrence of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and established the HGT network of carbon metabolic genes in 764 soil-borne microbiota genomes. Our study sheds light on the crucial role of HGT components in microbiological diversification that could have far-reaching implications in understanding how these microbial communities adapt to changing environments, ultimately impacting agricultural practices. In the overall HGT network of carbon metabolic genes in soil-borne microbiota, a total of 6,770 nodes and 3,812 edges are present. Among these nodes, phyla Proteobacteria, Actinobacteriota, Bacteroidota, and Firmicutes are predominant. Regarding specific classes, Actinobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Bacteroidia, Actinomycetia, Betaproteobacteria, and Clostridia are dominant. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) functional assignments of glycosyltransferase (18.5%), glycolysis/gluconeogenesis (8.8%), carbohydrate-related transporter (7.9%), fatty acid biosynthesis (6.5%), benzoate degradation (3.1%) and butanoate metabolism (3.0%) are primarily identified. Glycosyltransferase involved in cell wall biosynthesis, glycosylation, and primary/secondary metabolism (with 363 HGT entries), ranks first overwhelmingly in the list of most frequently identified carbon metabolic HGT enzymes, followed by pimeloyl-ACP methyl ester carboxylesterase, alcohol dehydrogenase, and 3-oxoacyl-ACP reductase. Such HGT events mainly occur in the peripheral functions of the carbon metabolic pathway instead of the core section. The inter-microbe HGT genetic traits in soil-borne microbiota genetic sequences that we recognized, as well as their involvement in the metabolism and regulation processes of carbon organic, suggest a pervasive and substantial effect of HGT on the evolution of microbes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liangzhi Li
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yongjun Liu
- Hunan Tobacco Science Institute, Changsha, China
| | - Qinzhi Xiao
- Yongzhou Tobacco Company of Hunan Province, Yongzhou, China
| | - Zhipeng Xiao
- Hengyang Tobacco Company of Hunan Province, Hengyang, China
| | - Delong Meng
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhaoyue Yang
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Wenqiao Deng
- Changsha Institute of Agricultural Science, Changsha, China
| | - Huaqun Yin
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhenghua Liu
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China
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Rybalka N, Blanke M, Tzvetkova A, Noll A, Roos C, Boy J, Boy D, Nimptsch D, Godoy R, Friedl T. Unrecognized diversity and distribution of soil algae from Maritime Antarctica (Fildes Peninsula, King George Island). Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1118747. [PMID: 37434717 PMCID: PMC10332270 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1118747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Eukaryotic algae in the top few centimeters of fellfield soils of ice-free Maritime Antarctica have many important effects on their habitat, such as being significant drivers of organic matter input into the soils and reducing the impact of wind erosion by soil aggregate formation. To better understand the diversity and distribution of Antarctic terrestrial algae, we performed a pilot study on the surface soils of Meseta, an ice-free plateau mountain crest of Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, being hardly influenced by the marine realm and anthropogenic disturbances. It is openly exposed to microbial colonization from outside Antarctica and connected to the much harsher and dryer ice-free zones of the continental Antarctic. A temperate reference site under mild land use, SchF, was included to further test for the Meseta algae distribution in a contrasting environment. Methods We employed a paired-end metabarcoding analysis based on amplicons of the highly variable nuclear-encoded ITS2 rDNA region, complemented by a clone library approach. It targeted the four algal classes, Chlorophyceae, Trebouxiophyceae, Ulvophyceae, and Xanthophyceae, representing key groups of cold-adapted soil algae. Results A surprisingly high diversity of 830 algal OTUs was revealed, assigned to 58 genera in the four targeted algal classes. Members of the green algal class Trebouxiophyceae predominated in the soil algae communities. The major part of the algal biodiversity, 86.1% of all algal OTUs, could not be identified at the species level due to insufficient representation in reference sequence databases. The classes Ulvophyceae and Xanthophyceae exhibited the most unknown species diversity. About 9% of the Meseta algae species diversity was shared with that of the temperate reference site in Germany. Discussion In the small portion of algal OTUs for which their distribution could be assessed, the entire ITS2 sequence identity with references shows that the soil algae likely have a wide distribution beyond the Polar regions. They probably originated from soil algae propagule banks in far southern regions, transported by aeolian transport over long distances. The dynamics and severity of environmental conditions at the soil surface, determined by high wind currents, and the soil algae's high adaptability to harsh environmental conditions may account for the high similarity of soil algal communities between the northern and southern parts of the Meseta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nataliya Rybalka
- Department of Experimental Phycology and Culture Collection of Algae (EPSAG), Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Matthias Blanke
- Department of Experimental Phycology and Culture Collection of Algae (EPSAG), Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Bioinformatics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ana Tzvetkova
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Human Molecular Genetics Group, Department of Functional Genomics, Interfaculty Institute of Genetics and Functional Genomics, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Angela Noll
- Primate Genetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Christian Roos
- Primate Genetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jens Boy
- Institute of Soil Science, Leibniz University, Hanover, Germany
| | - Diana Boy
- Institute of Microbiology, Leibniz University, Hanover, Germany
| | - Daniel Nimptsch
- Department of Experimental Phycology and Culture Collection of Algae (EPSAG), Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Roberto Godoy
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Thomas Friedl
- Department of Experimental Phycology and Culture Collection of Algae (EPSAG), Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany
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Structuring Life After Death: Plant Leachates Promote CO2 Uptake by Regulating Microbial Biofilm Interactions in a Northern Peatland Ecosystem. Ecosystems 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-023-00820-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
AbstractShifts in plant functional groups associated with climate change have the potential to influence peatland carbon storage by altering the amount and composition of organic matter available to aquatic microbial biofilms. The goal of this study was to evaluate the potential for plant subsidies to regulate ecosystem carbon flux (CO2) by governing the relative proportion of primary producers (microalgae) and heterotrophic decomposers (heterotrophic bacteria) during aquatic biofilm development in an Alaskan fen. We evaluated biofilm composition and CO2 flux inside mesocosms with and without nutrients (both nitrogen and phosphorus), organic carbon (glucose), and leachates from common peatland plants (moss, sedge, shrub, horsetail). Experimental mesocosms were exposed to either natural sunlight or placed under a dark canopy to evaluate the response of decomposers to nutrients and carbon subsidies with and without algae, respectively. Algae were limited by inorganic nutrients and heterotrophic bacteria were limited by organic carbon. The quality of organic matter varied widely among plants and leachate nutrient content, more so than carbon quality, influenced biofilm composition. By alleviating nutrient limitation of algae, plant leachates shifted the biofilm community toward autotrophy in the light-transparent treatments, resulting in a significant reduction in CO2 emissions compared to the control. Without the counterbalance from algal photosynthesis, a heterotrophic biofilm significantly enhanced CO2 emissions in the presence of plant leachates in the dark. These results show that plants not only promote carbon uptake directly through photosynthesis, but also indirectly through a surrogate, the phototrophic microbes.
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Lara E, Singer D, Geisen S. Discrepancies between prokaryotes and eukaryotes need to be considered in soil DNA-based studies. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:3829-3839. [PMID: 35437903 PMCID: PMC9790305 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Metabarcoding approaches are exponentially increasing our understanding of soil biodiversity, with a major focus on the bacterial part of the microbiome. Part of the soil diversity are also eukaryotes that include fungi, algae, protists and Metazoa. Nowadays, soil eukaryotes are targeted with the same approaches developed for bacteria and archaea (prokaryotes). However, fundamental differences exist between domains. After providing a short historical overview of the developments of metabarcoding applied to environmental microbiology, we compile the most important differences between domains that prevent direct method transfers between prokaryotic and eukaryotic soil metabarcoding approaches, currently dominated by short-read sequencing. These include the existence of divergent diversity concepts and the variations in eukaryotic morphology that affect sampling and DNA extraction. Furthermore, eukaryotes experienced much more variable evolutionary rates than prokaryotes, which prevent capturing the entire eukaryotic diversity in a soil with a single amplification protocol fit for short-read sequencing. In the final part we focus on future potentials for optimization of eukaryotic metabarcoding that include superior possibility of functionally characterizing eukaryotes and to extend the current information obtained, such as by adding a real quantitative component. This review should optimize future metabarcoding approaches targeting soil eukaryotes and kickstart this promising research direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrique Lara
- Real Jardín Botánico‐CSIC, Plaza de Murillo 2Madrid28014Spain
| | - David Singer
- UMR CNRS 6112 LPG‐BIAFAngers University, 2 Boulevard LavoisierAngers49045France
| | - Stefan Geisen
- Laboratory of NematologyWageningen UniversityWageningen6700 AAThe Netherlands
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de Lorenzo V. Environmental Galenics: large-scale fortification of extant microbiomes with engineered bioremediation agents. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210395. [PMID: 35757882 PMCID: PMC9234819 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Contemporary synthetic biology-based biotechnologies are generating tools and strategies for reprogramming genomes for specific purposes, including improvement and/or creation of microbial processes for tackling climate change. While such activities typically work well at a laboratory or bioreactor scale, the challenge of their extensive delivery to multiple spatio-temporal dimensions has hardly been tackled thus far. This state of affairs creates a research niche for what could be called Environmental Galenics (EG), i.e. the science and technology of releasing designed biological agents into deteriorated ecosystems for the sake of their safe and effective recovery. Such endeavour asks not just for an optimal performance of the biological activity at stake, but also the material form and formulation of the agents, their propagation and their interplay with the physico-chemical scenario where they are expected to perform. EG also encompasses adopting available physical carriers of microorganisms and channels of horizontal gene transfer as potential paths for spreading beneficial activities through environmental microbiomes. While some of these propositions may sound unsettling to anti-genetically modified organisms sensitivities, they may also fall under the tag of TINA (there is no alternative) technologies in the cases where a mere reduction of emissions will not help the revitalization of irreversibly lost ecosystems. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Ecological complexity and the biosphere: the next 30 years’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor de Lorenzo
- Systems Biology Department, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología-CSIC, Campus de Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
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17
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Jassey VEJ, Hamard S, Lepère C, Céréghino R, Corbara B, Küttim M, Leflaive J, Leroy C, Carrias JF. Photosynthetic microorganisms effectively contribute to bryophyte CO 2 fixation in boreal and tropical regions. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 2:64. [PMID: 37938283 PMCID: PMC9723567 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-022-00149-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
Photosynthetic microbes are omnipresent in land and water. While they critically influence primary productivity in aquatic systems, their importance in terrestrial ecosystems remains largely overlooked. In terrestrial systems, photoautotrophs occur in a variety of habitats, such as sub-surface soils, exposed rocks, and bryophytes. Here, we study photosynthetic microbial communities associated with bryophytes from a boreal peatland and a tropical rainforest. We interrogate their contribution to bryophyte C uptake and identify the main drivers of that contribution. We found that photosynthetic microbes take up twice more C in the boreal peatland (~4.4 mg CO2.h-1.m-2) than in the tropical rainforest (~2.4 mg CO2.h-1.m-2), which corresponded to an average contribution of 4% and 2% of the bryophyte C uptake, respectively. Our findings revealed that such patterns were driven by the proportion of photosynthetic protists in the moss microbiomes. Low moss water content and light conditions were not favourable to the development of photosynthetic protists in the tropical rainforest, which indirectly reduced the overall photosynthetic microbial C uptake. Our investigations clearly show that photosynthetic microbes associated with bryophyte effectively contribute to moss C uptake despite species turnover. Terrestrial photosynthetic microbes clearly have the capacity to take up atmospheric C in bryophytes living under various environmental conditions, and therefore potentially support rates of ecosystem-level net C exchanges with the atmosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent E J Jassey
- Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (LEFE), Université Toulouse 3-Paul Sabatier (UT3), CNRS, 31062, Toulouse, France.
| | - Samuel Hamard
- Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (LEFE), Université Toulouse 3-Paul Sabatier (UT3), CNRS, 31062, Toulouse, France
| | - Cécile Lepère
- Laboratoire Microorganismes, Génome Et Environnement (LMGE), Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Régis Céréghino
- Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (LEFE), Université Toulouse 3-Paul Sabatier (UT3), CNRS, 31062, Toulouse, France
| | - Bruno Corbara
- Laboratoire Microorganismes, Génome Et Environnement (LMGE), Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Martin Küttim
- Institute of Ecology, School of Natural Sciences and Health, Tallinn University, Uus-Sadama 5, 10120, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Joséphine Leflaive
- Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (LEFE), Université Toulouse 3-Paul Sabatier (UT3), CNRS, 31062, Toulouse, France
| | - Céline Leroy
- AMAP, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Montpellier, France
- ECOFOG, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Université de Guyane, Université des Antilles, Campus Agronomique, Kourou, France
| | - Jean-François Carrias
- Laboratoire Microorganismes, Génome Et Environnement (LMGE), Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Clermont-Ferrand, France
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