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Haque ME, Rinke M, Chen TW, Maraun M, Scheu S. Colonization of mudflat substrate by microarthropods: the role of distance, inundation frequency and body size. Oecologia 2024; 206:87-100. [PMID: 39231844 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05615-x] [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: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024]
Abstract
Salt marshes represent a unique ecosystem at the marine-terrestrial boundary of shallow protected coastlines. Microarthropods form an essential component of soil food webs, but how they colonize new intertidal habitats is little understood. By establishing two experimental systems without animals, we investigated microarthropod colonization (1) at the seashore from the pioneer zone to the lower and upper salt marsh and (2) at the same tidal height on artificial islands 500 m from the seashore. Potential source populations of microarthropods in the respective zones were also investigated. Colonization of microarthropods after 5 years was consistently faster on the seashore than on the artificial islands. Collembola and Mesostigmata colonized all the zones both on the seashore and on the artificial islands, with colonization being faster in the upper salt marsh and in the pioneer zone than in the lower salt marsh. Oribatida colonized the new habitats on the seashore, but only little on the artificial islands. Variations in species composition were more pronounced between salt marsh zones than between experimental systems, indicating that local environmental conditions (i.e., inundation frequency) are more important for the assembly of microarthropod communities than the distance from source populations (i.e., dispersal processes). Variations in community body size of Oribatida and Mesostigmata indicated environmental filtering of traits, with smaller species suffering from frequent inundations. Notably, Mesostigmata most successfully colonized the new habitats across salt marsh zones on both systems. Overall, the results document major mechanisms of colonization of intertidal habitats by microarthropods with different life histories and feeding strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Ekramul Haque
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Department of Animal Ecology, University of Göttingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Maria Rinke
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Department of Animal Ecology, University of Göttingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ting-Wen Chen
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Department of Animal Ecology, University of Göttingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Mark Maraun
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Department of Animal Ecology, University of Göttingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Scheu
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Department of Animal Ecology, University of Göttingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
- Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 1, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
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2
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Daussin A, Vannier P, Daboussy L, Šantl-Temkiv T, Cockell C, Marteinsson VÞ. Atmospheric dispersal shapes rapid bacterial colonization of Icelandic Lava Rocks. FEMS MICROBES 2024; 5:xtae016. [PMID: 38873337 PMCID: PMC11173176 DOI: 10.1093/femsmc/xtae016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms released into the atmosphere by various disturbances can travel significant distances before depositing, yet their impact on community assembly remains unclear. To address this, we examined atmospheric and lithospheric bacterial communities in 179 samples collected at two distinct Icelandic volcanic sites: a small volcanic island Surtsey, and a volcanic highland Fimmvörðuháls using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Airborne microbial communities were similar between sites while significant differences emerged in the communities on lava rocks after 1-year exposure. SourceTracker analysis revealed distinct bacterial populations in the atmosphere and the lava rocks with surrounding soil contributed more significantly to lava rock microbial composition. Nevertheless, shared genera among air, rocks, and local sources, suggested potential exchange between these environments. The prevalent genera shared between rocks and potential sources exhibited stress-resistant properties, likely helping their survival during air transportation and facilitating their colonization of the rocks. We hypothesize that the atmosphere serves as a conduit for locally sourced microbes and stress-resistant distant-sourced microbes. Additionally, bacterial communities on the lava rocks of Fimmvörðuháls showed remarkable similarity after 1 and 9 years of exposure, suggesting rapid establishment. Our study reveals that atmospheric deposition significantly influences bacterial community formation, potentially influencing ecosystem dynamics and microbial communities' resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélien Daussin
- Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Iceland, Sæmundargatu 2, 102 Reykjavík, Iceland
- MATIS, Department of Research and Innovation, Vinlandsleið 12, 113 Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Pauline Vannier
- MATIS, Department of Research and Innovation, Vinlandsleið 12, 113 Reykjavík, Iceland
- Université de Toulon, MAPIEM, SeaTech, Bâtiment X, Avenue de l'Université, 83130 La Garde, France
| | - Lola Daboussy
- University of Technology of Compiègne, CS 60319, 60203 Compiègne, France
| | - Tina Šantl-Temkiv
- Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Biology, Arctic Research Center, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Allé 1, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Environmental Science, iCLIMATE Aarhus University Interdisciplinary Centre for Climate Change, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 116, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Charles Cockell
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, James Clerk Maxwell Building, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh, Scotland
| | - Viggó Þór Marteinsson
- Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Iceland, Sæmundargatu 2, 102 Reykjavík, Iceland
- MATIS, Department of Research and Innovation, Vinlandsleið 12, 113 Reykjavík, Iceland
- The Agricultural University of Iceland, Hvanneyri, 311 Borgabyggð, Iceland
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3
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Azri R, Lamine M, Bensalem-Fnayou A, Hamdi Z, Mliki A, Ruiz-Lozano JM, Aroca R. Genotype-Dependent Response of Root Microbiota and Leaf Metabolism in Olive Seedlings Subjected to Drought Stress. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:857. [PMID: 38592857 PMCID: PMC10974243 DOI: 10.3390/plants13060857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Under stress or in optimum conditions, plants foster a specific guild of symbiotic microbes to strengthen pivotal functions including metabolic regulation. Despite that the role of the plant genotype in microbial selection is well documented, the potential of this genotype-specific microbial assembly in maintaining the host homeostasis remains insufficiently investigated. In this study, we aimed to assess the specificity of the foliar metabolic response of contrasting olive genotypes to microbial inoculation with wet-adapted consortia of plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), to see if previously inoculated plants with indigenous or exogenous microbes would display any change in their leaf metabolome once being subjected to drought stress. Two Tunisian elite varieties, Chetoui (drought-sensitive) and Chemleli (drought-tolerant), were tested under controlled and stressed conditions. Leaf samples were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-TOFMS) to identify untargeted metabolites. Root and soil samples were used to extract microbial genomic DNA destined for bacterial community profiling using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Respectively, the score plot analysis, cluster analysis, heat map, Venn diagrams, and Krona charts were applied to metabolic and microbial data. Results demonstrated dynamic changes in the leaf metabolome of the Chetoui variety in both stress and inoculation conditions. Under the optimum state, the PGPR consortia induced noteworthy alterations in metabolic patterns of the sensitive variety, aligning with the phytochemistry observed in drought-tolerant cultivars. These variations involved fatty acids, tocopherols, phenols, methoxyphenols, stilbenoids, triterpenes, and sugars. On the other hand, the Chemleli variety displaying comparable metabolic profiles appeared unaffected by stress and inoculation probably owing to its tolerance capacity. The distribution of microbial species among treatments was distinctly uneven. The tested seedlings followed variety-specific strategies in selecting beneficial soil bacteria to alleviate stress. A highly abundant species of the wet-adapted inoculum was detected only under optimum conditions for both cultivars, which makes the moisture history of the plant genotype a selective driver shaping microbial community and thereby a useful tool to predict microbial activity in large ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahma Azri
- Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Centre of Biotechnology of Borj-Cedria, P.O. Box 901, Hammam-Lif 2050, Tunisia
- National Insitute of Applied Science and Technology, University of Carthage, Centre Urbain Nord, BP 676, Charguia Cedex 1080, Tunisia
| | - Myriam Lamine
- Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Centre of Biotechnology of Borj-Cedria, P.O. Box 901, Hammam-Lif 2050, Tunisia
| | - Asma Bensalem-Fnayou
- Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Centre of Biotechnology of Borj-Cedria, P.O. Box 901, Hammam-Lif 2050, Tunisia
| | - Zohra Hamdi
- Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Centre of Biotechnology of Borj-Cedria, P.O. Box 901, Hammam-Lif 2050, Tunisia
| | - Ahmed Mliki
- Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Centre of Biotechnology of Borj-Cedria, P.O. Box 901, Hammam-Lif 2050, Tunisia
| | - Juan Manuel Ruiz-Lozano
- Departament of Microbiology, Soil System and Symbiosis, Zaidín Experimental Station, Spanish Reaserch Council (CSIC), Prof. Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain
| | - Ricardo Aroca
- Departament of Microbiology, Soil System and Symbiosis, Zaidín Experimental Station, Spanish Reaserch Council (CSIC), Prof. Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain
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Lappan R, Thakar J, Molares Moncayo L, Besser A, Bradley JA, Goordial J, Trembath-Reichert E, Greening C. The atmosphere: a transport medium or an active microbial ecosystem? THE ISME JOURNAL 2024; 18:wrae092. [PMID: 38804464 PMCID: PMC11214262 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae092] [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: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 05/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
The atmosphere may be Earth's largest microbial ecosystem. It is connected to all of Earth's surface ecosystems and plays an important role in microbial dispersal on local to global scales. Despite this grand scale, surprisingly little is understood about the atmosphere itself as a habitat. A key question remains unresolved: does the atmosphere simply transport microorganisms from one location to another, or does it harbour adapted, resident, and active microbial communities that overcome the physiological stressors and selection pressures the atmosphere poses to life? Advances in extreme microbiology and astrobiology continue to push our understanding of the limits of life towards ever greater extremes of temperature, pressure, salinity, irradiance, pH, and water availability. Earth's atmosphere stands as a challenging, but potentially surmountable, extreme environment to harbour living, active, resident microorganisms. Here, we confront the current understanding of the atmosphere as a microbial habitat, highlighting key advances and limitations. We pose major ecological and mechanistic questions about microbial life in the atmosphere that remain unresolved and frame the problems and technical pitfalls that have largely hindered recent developments in this space, providing evidence-based insights to drive future research in this field. New innovations supported by rigorous technical standards are needed to enable progress in understanding atmospheric microorganisms and their influence on global processes of weather, climate, nutrient cycling, biodiversity, and microbial connectivity, especially in the context of rapid global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael Lappan
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- School of Earth, Atmosphere & Environment, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Jordan Thakar
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G2W1, Canada
| | - Laura Molares Moncayo
- School of Geography, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom
- Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, United Kingdom
- Aix Marseille University, University of Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO, Marseille 13009, France
| | - Alexi Besser
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, United States
| | - James A Bradley
- Aix Marseille University, University of Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO, Marseille 13009, France
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom
| | - Jacqueline Goordial
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G2W1, Canada
| | | | - Chris Greening
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
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Malard LA, Bergk-Pinto B, Layton R, Vogel TM, Larose C, Pearce DA. Snow Microorganisms Colonise Arctic Soils Following Snow Melt. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2023; 86:1661-1675. [PMID: 36939866 PMCID: PMC10497451 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-023-02204-y] [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: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Arctic soils are constantly subjected to microbial invasion from either airborne, marine, or animal sources, which may impact local microbial communities and ecosystem functioning. However, in winter, Arctic soils are isolated from outside sources other than snow, which is the sole source of microorganisms. Successful colonisation of soil by snow microorganisms depends on the ability to survive and compete of both, the invading and resident community. Using shallow shotgun metagenome sequencing and amplicon sequencing, this study monitored snow and soil microbial communities throughout snow melt to investigate the colonisation process of Arctic soils. Microbial colonisation likely occurred as all the characteristics of successful colonisation were observed. The colonising microorganisms originating from the snow were already adapted to the local environmental conditions and were subsequently subjected to many similar conditions in the Arctic soil. Furthermore, competition-related genes (e.g. motility and virulence) increased in snow samples as the snow melted. Overall, one hundred potentially successful colonisers were identified in the soil and, thus, demonstrated the deposition and growth of snow microorganisms in soils during melt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie A Malard
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, NE1 8ST, UK.
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Benoit Bergk-Pinto
- Environmental Microbial Genomics, Laboratoire Ampère, École Centrale de Lyon, CNRS, University of Lyon, Lyon, France
- BioIT, TAG (Transversal Activities in Applied Genomics) Sciensano, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Rose Layton
- Environmental Microbial Genomics, Laboratoire Ampère, École Centrale de Lyon, CNRS, University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Timothy M Vogel
- Environmental Microbial Genomics, Laboratoire Ampère, École Centrale de Lyon, CNRS, University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Catherine Larose
- Environmental Microbial Genomics, Laboratoire Ampère, École Centrale de Lyon, CNRS, University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - David A Pearce
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, NE1 8ST, UK.
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6
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Malard LA, Guisan A. Into the microbial niche. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:936-945. [PMID: 37236880 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The environmental niche concept describes the distribution of a taxon in the environment and can be used to understand community dynamics, biological invasions, and the impact of environmental changes. The uses and applications are still restricted in microbial ecology, largely due to the complexity of microbial systems and associated methodological limitations. The development of shotgun metagenomics and metatranscriptomics opens new ways to investigate the microbial niche by focusing on the metabolic niche within the environmental space. Here, we propose the metabolic niche framework, which, by defining the fundamental and realised metabolic niche of microorganisms, has the potential to not only provide novel insights into habitat preferences and the metabolism associated, but also to inform on metabolic plasticity, niche shifts, and microbial invasions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie A Malard
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Antoine Guisan
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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Casamayor EO, Cáliz J, Triadó-Margarit X, Pointing SB. Understanding atmospheric intercontinental dispersal of harmful microorganisms. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2023; 81:102945. [PMID: 37087840 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2023.102945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
The atmosphere is a major route for microbial intercontinental dispersal, including harmful microorganisms, antibiotic resistance genes, and allergens, with strong implications in ecosystem functioning and global health. Long-distance dispersal is facilitated by air movement at higher altitudes in the free troposphere and is affected by anthropogenic forcing, climate change, and by the general atmospheric circulation, mainly in the intertropical convergence zone. The survival of microorganisms during atmospheric transport and their remote invasive potential are fundamental questions, but data are scarce. Extreme atmospheric conditions represent a challenge to survival that requires specific adaptive strategies, and recovery of air samples from the high altitudes relevant to study harmful microorganisms can be challenging. In this paper, we highlight the scope of the problem, identify challenges and knowledge gaps, and offer a roadmap for improved understanding of intercontinental microbial dispersal and their outcomes. Greater understanding of long-distance dispersal requires research focus on local factors that affect emissions, coupled with conditions influencing transport and survival at high altitudes, and eventual deposition at sink locations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilio O Casamayor
- Ecology of the Global Microbiome, Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes-CSIC, E-17300 Blanes, Spain.
| | - Joan Cáliz
- Ecology of the Global Microbiome, Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes-CSIC, E-17300 Blanes, Spain
| | - Xavier Triadó-Margarit
- Ecology of the Global Microbiome, Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes-CSIC, E-17300 Blanes, Spain
| | - Stephen B Pointing
- Yale-NUS College & Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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Barbour KM, Barrón-Sandoval A, Walters KE, Martiny JBH. Towards quantifying microbial dispersal in the environment. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:137-142. [PMID: 36308707 PMCID: PMC10100412 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kristin M Barbour
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Alberto Barrón-Sandoval
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | | | - Jennifer B H Martiny
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
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