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Kelliher JM, Johnson LYD, Robinson AJ, Longley R, Hanson BT, Cailleau G, Bindschedler S, Junier P, Chain PSG. Fabricated devices for performing bacterial-fungal interaction experiments across scales. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1380199. [PMID: 39171270 PMCID: PMC11335632 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1380199] [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: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Diverse and complex microbiomes are found in virtually every environment on Earth. Bacteria and fungi often co-dominate environmental microbiomes, and there is growing recognition that bacterial-fungal interactions (BFI) have significant impacts on the functioning of their associated microbiomes, environments, and hosts. Investigating BFI in vitro remains a challenge, particularly when attempting to examine interactions at multiple scales of system complexity. Fabricated devices can provide control over both biotic composition and abiotic factors within an experiment to enable the characterization of diverse BFI phenotypes such as modulation of growth rate, production of biomolecules, and alterations to physical movements. Engineered devices ranging from microfluidic chips to simulated rhizosphere systems have been and will continue to be invaluable to BFI research, and it is anticipated that such devices will continue to be developed for diverse applications in the field. This will allow researchers to address specific questions regarding the nature of BFI and how they impact larger microbiome and environmental processes such as biogeochemical cycles, plant productivity, and overall ecosystem resilience. Devices that are currently used for experimental investigations of bacteria, fungi, and BFI are discussed herein along with some of the associated challenges and several recommendations for future device design and applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia M. Kelliher
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, United States
| | - Leah Y. D. Johnson
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, United States
| | - Aaron J. Robinson
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, United States
| | - Reid Longley
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, United States
| | - Buck T. Hanson
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, United States
| | - Guillaume Cailleau
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Saskia Bindschedler
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Pilar Junier
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Patrick S. G. Chain
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, United States
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2
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Rodríguez C, Pan D, Natan RG, Mohr MA, Miao M, Chen X, Northen TR, Vogel JP, Ji N. Adaptive optical third-harmonic generation microscopy for in vivo imaging of tissues. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.02.592275. [PMID: 38746456 PMCID: PMC11092640 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.02.592275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Third-harmonic generation microscopy is a powerful label-free nonlinear imaging technique, providing essential information about structural characteristics of cells and tissues without requiring external labelling agents. In this work, we integrated a recently developed compact adaptive optics module into a third-harmonic generation microscope, to measure and correct for optical aberrations in complex tissues. Taking advantage of the high sensitivity of the third-harmonic generation process to material interfaces and thin membranes, along with the 1,300-nm excitation wavelength used here, our adaptive optical third-harmonic generation microscope enabled high-resolution in vivo imaging within highly scattering biological model systems. Examples include imaging of myelinated axons and vascular structures within the mouse spinal cord and deep cortical layers of the mouse brain, along with imaging of key anatomical features in the roots of the model plant Brachypodium distachyon. In all instances, aberration correction led to significant enhancements in image quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Rodríguez
- Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Present address: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Daisong Pan
- Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Ryan G. Natan
- Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Manuel A. Mohr
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Present address: Yale Ventures, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Max Miao
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Xiaoke Chen
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Trent R. Northen
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - John P. Vogel
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Na Ji
- Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
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3
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Chai L, Shank EA, Zaburdaev V. Where bacteria and eukaryotes meet. J Bacteriol 2024; 206:e0004923. [PMID: 38289062 PMCID: PMC10882991 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00049-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The international workshop "Interdisciplinary life of microbes: from single cells to multicellular aggregates," following a virtual preassembly in November 2021, was held in person in Dresden, from 9 to 13 November 2022. It attracted not only prominent experts in biofilm research but also researchers from broadly neighboring disciplines, such as medicine, chemistry, and theoretical and experimental biophysics, both eukaryotic and prokaryotic. Focused brainstorming sessions were the special feature of the event and are at the heart of this commentary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liraz Chai
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- The Harvey M. Krueger Family Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Elizabeth A. Shank
- Department of Systems Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Vasily Zaburdaev
- Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
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4
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Conway JM, Martinez PJ, Wilson ED, Del Risco NM, Dangl JL. Arabidopsis Root Microbiome Microfluidic (ARMM) Device for Imaging Bacterial Colonization and Morphogenesis of Arabidopsis Roots. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2805:213-228. [PMID: 39008185 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3854-5_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Imaging the spatiotemporal dynamics of host-microbiota interactions is of particular interest for augmenting our understanding of these complex systems. This is especially true of plant-microbe interactions happening around, on, and inside plant roots where relatively little is understood about the dynamics of these systems. Over the past decade, a number of microfluidic devices have been developed to grow plants hydroponically in gnotobiotic conditions and image morphogenesis of the root and/or dynamics with fluorescently labeled bacteria from the plant root microbiome. Here we describe the construction and use of our Arabidopsis Root Microbiome Microfluidic (ARMM) device for imaging fluorescent protein expressing bacteria and their colonization of Arabidopsis roots. In contrast to other plant root imaging devices, we designed this device to have a larger chamber for observing Arabidopsis root elongation and plant-microbe interactions with older seedlings (between 1.5 and 4 weeks after germination) and a 200 μm chamber depth to specifically maintain thin Arabidopsis roots within the focal distance of the confocal microscope. Our device incorporates a new approach to growing Arabidopsis seedlings in screw-top tube caps for simplified germination and transfer to the device. We present representative images from the ARMM device including high resolution cross section images of bacterial colonization at the root surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan M Conway
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | - Payton J Martinez
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Ellie D Wilson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Nicole M Del Risco
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jeffery L Dangl
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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5
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Coker J, Zhalnina K, Marotz C, Thiruppathy D, Tjuanta M, D’Elia G, Hailu R, Mahosky T, Rowan M, Northen TR, Zengler K. A Reproducible and Tunable Synthetic Soil Microbial Community Provides New Insights into Microbial Ecology. mSystems 2022; 7:e0095122. [PMID: 36472419 PMCID: PMC9765266 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00951-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial soil communities form commensal relationships with plants to promote the growth of both parties. The optimization of plant-microbe interactions to advance sustainable agriculture is an important field in agricultural research. However, investigation in this field is hindered by a lack of model microbial community systems and efficient approaches for building these communities. Two key challenges in developing standardized model communities are maintaining community diversity over time and storing/resuscitating these communities after cryopreservation, especially considering the different growth rates of organisms. Here, a model synthetic community (SynCom) of 16 soil microorganisms commonly found in the rhizosphere of diverse plant species, isolated from soil surrounding a single switchgrass plant, has been developed and optimized for in vitro experiments. The model soil community grows reproducibly between replicates and experiments, with a high community α-diversity being achieved through growth in low-nutrient media and through the adjustment of the starting composition ratios for the growth of individual organisms. The community can additionally be cryopreserved with glycerol, allowing for easy replication and dissemination of this in vitro system. Furthermore, the SynCom also grows reproducibly in fabricated ecosystem devices (EcoFABs), demonstrating the application of this community to an existing in vitro plant-microbe system. EcoFABs allow reproducible research in model plant systems, offering the precise control of environmental conditions and the easy measurement of plant microbe metrics. Our results demonstrate the generation of a stable and diverse microbial SynCom for the rhizosphere that can be used with EcoFAB devices and can be shared between research groups for maximum reproducibility. IMPORTANCE Microbes associate with plants in distinct soil communities to the benefit of both the soil microbes and the plants. Interactions between plants and these microbes can improve plant growth and health and are therefore a field of study in sustainable agricultural research. In this study, a model community of 16 soil bacteria has been developed to further the reproducible study of plant-soil microbe interactions. The preservation of the microbial community has been optimized for dissemination to other research settings. Overall, this work will advance soil microbe research through the optimization of a robust, reproducible model community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Coker
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Kateryna Zhalnina
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Berkeley Lab, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Clarisse Marotz
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Deepan Thiruppathy
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Megan Tjuanta
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Gavin D’Elia
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Rodas Hailu
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Talon Mahosky
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Meagan Rowan
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Trent R. Northen
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Berkeley Lab, Berkeley, California, USA
- The DOE Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley Lab, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Karsten Zengler
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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6
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Salem MA, Wang JY, Al-Babili S. Metabolomics of plant root exudates: From sample preparation to data analysis. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1062982. [PMID: 36561464 PMCID: PMC9763704 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1062982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Plants release a set of chemical compounds, called exudates, into the rhizosphere, under normal conditions and in response to environmental stimuli and surrounding soil organisms. Plant root exudates play indispensable roles in inhibiting the growth of harmful microorganisms, while also promoting the growth of beneficial microbes and attracting symbiotic partners. Root exudates contain a complex array of primary and specialized metabolites. Some of these chemicals are only found in certain plant species for shaping the microbial community in the rhizosphere. Comprehensive understanding of plant root exudates has numerous applications from basic sciences to enhancing crop yield, production of stress-tolerant crops, and phytoremediation. This review summarizes the metabolomics workflow for determining the composition of root exudates, from sample preparation to data acquisition and analysis. We also discuss recent advances in the existing analytical methods and future perspectives of metabolite analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed A. Salem
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Natural Products, Faculty of Pharmacy, Menoufia University, Menoufia, Egypt
| | - Jian You Wang
- The BioActives Lab, Center for Desert Agriculture, Biological and Environment Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Salim Al-Babili
- The BioActives Lab, Center for Desert Agriculture, Biological and Environment Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- Plant Science Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
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7
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Nethery MA, Hidalgo-Cantabrana C, Roberts A, Barrangou R. CRISPR-based engineering of phages for in situ bacterial base editing. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2206744119. [PMID: 36343261 PMCID: PMC9674246 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2206744119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Investigation of microbial gene function is essential to the elucidation of ecological roles and complex genetic interactions that take place in microbial communities. While microbiome studies have increased in prevalence, the lack of viable in situ editing strategies impedes experimental progress, rendering genetic knowledge and manipulation of microbial communities largely inaccessible. Here, we demonstrate the utility of phage-delivered CRISPR-Cas payloads to perform targeted genetic manipulation within a community context, deploying a fabricated ecosystem (EcoFAB) as an analog for the soil microbiome. First, we detail the engineering of two classical phages for community editing using recombination to replace nonessential genes through Cas9-based selection. We show efficient engineering of T7, then demonstrate the expression of antibiotic resistance and fluorescent genes from an engineered λ prophage within an Escherichia coli host. Next, we modify λ to express an APOBEC-1-based cytosine base editor (CBE), which we leverage to perform C-to-T point mutations guided by a modified Cas9 containing only a single active nucleolytic domain (nCas9). We strategically introduce these base substitutions to create premature stop codons in-frame, inactivating both chromosomal (lacZ) and plasmid-encoded genes (mCherry and ampicillin resistance) without perturbation of the surrounding genomic regions. Furthermore, using a multigenera synthetic soil community, we employ phage-assisted base editing to induce host-specific phenotypic alterations in a community context both in vitro and within the EcoFAB, observing editing efficiencies from 10 to 28% across the bacterial population. The concurrent use of a synthetic microbial community, soil matrix, and EcoFAB device provides a controlled and reproducible model to more closely approximate in situ editing of the soil microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A. Nethery
- Genomic Sciences Graduate Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695
- Department of Food, Bioprocessing & Nutrition Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606
| | - Claudio Hidalgo-Cantabrana
- Department of Food, Bioprocessing & Nutrition Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606
| | - Avery Roberts
- Genomic Sciences Graduate Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695
- Department of Food, Bioprocessing & Nutrition Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606
| | - Rodolphe Barrangou
- Genomic Sciences Graduate Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695
- Department of Food, Bioprocessing & Nutrition Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606
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8
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Kuang W, Sanow S, Kelm JM, Müller Linow M, Andeer P, Kohlheyer D, Northen T, Vogel JP, Watt M, Arsova B. N-dependent dynamics of root growth and nitrate and ammonium uptake are altered by the bacterium Herbaspirillum seropedicae in the cereal model Brachypodium distachyon. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2022; 73:5306-5321. [PMID: 35512445 PMCID: PMC9440436 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) fixation in cereals by root-associated bacteria is a promising solution for reducing use of chemical N fertilizers in agriculture. However, plant and bacterial responses are unpredictable across environments. We hypothesized that cereal responses to N-fixing bacteria are dynamic, depending on N supply and time. To quantify the dynamics, a gnotobiotic, fabricated ecosystem (EcoFAB) was adapted to analyse N mass balance, to image shoot and root growth, and to measure gene expression of Brachypodium distachyon inoculated with the N-fixing bacterium Herbaspirillum seropedicae. Phenotyping throughput of EcoFAB-N was 25-30 plants h-1 with open software and imaging systems. Herbaspirillum seropedicae inoculation of B. distachyon shifted root and shoot growth, nitrate versus ammonium uptake, and gene expression with time; directions and magnitude depended on N availability. Primary roots were longer and root hairs shorter regardless of N, with stronger changes at low N. At higher N, H. seropedicae provided 11% of the total plant N that came from sources other than the seed or the nutrient solution. The time-resolved phenotypic and molecular data point to distinct modes of action: at 5 mM NH4NO3 the benefit appears through N fixation, while at 0.5 mM NH4NO3 the mechanism appears to be plant physiological, with H. seropedicae promoting uptake of N from the root medium.Future work could fine-tune plant and root-associated microorganisms to growth and nutrient dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiqi Kuang
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hunan University of Arts and Science, 415000 Changde, China
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 410125 Changsha, China
| | - Stefan Sanow
- IBG-2 Plant Sciences, Institut für Bio- und Geowissenschaften, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Jana M Kelm
- IBG-2 Plant Sciences, Institut für Bio- und Geowissenschaften, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Mark Müller Linow
- IBG-2 Plant Sciences, Institut für Bio- und Geowissenschaften, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Peter Andeer
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Dietrich Kohlheyer
- IBG-1 Biotechnology, Institut für Bio- und Geowissenschaften, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Trent Northen
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- The Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - John P Vogel
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- The Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Michelle Watt
- IBG-2 Plant Sciences, Institut für Bio- und Geowissenschaften, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany
- Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
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9
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Abstract
Soil matrix properties influence microbial behaviors that underlie nutrient cycling, greenhouse gas production, and soil formation. However, the dynamic and heterogeneous nature of soils makes it challenging to untangle the effects of different matrix properties on microbial behaviors. To address this challenge, we developed a tunable artificial soil recipe and used these materials to study the abiotic mechanisms driving soil microbial growth and communication. When we used standardized matrices with varying textures to culture gas-reporting biosensors, we found that a Gram-negative bacterium (Escherichia coli) grew best in synthetic silt soils, remaining active over a wide range of soil matric potentials, while a Gram-positive bacterium (Bacillus subtilis) preferred sandy soils, sporulating at low water potentials. Soil texture, mineralogy, and alkalinity all attenuated the bioavailability of an acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) signaling molecule that controls community-level microbial behaviors. Texture controlled the timing of AHL sensing, while AHL bioavailability was decreased ~105-fold by mineralogy and ~103-fold by alkalinity. Finally, we built artificial soils with a range of complexities that converge on the properties of one Mollisol. As artificial soil complexity increased to more closely resemble the Mollisol, microbial behaviors approached those occurring in the natural soil, with the notable exception of organic matter. IMPORTANCE Understanding environmental controls on soil microbes is difficult because many abiotic parameters vary simultaneously and uncontrollably when different natural soils are compared, preventing mechanistic determination of any individual soil parameter's effect on microbial behaviors. We describe how soil texture, mineralogy, pH, and organic matter content can be varied individually within artificial soils to study their effects on soil microbes. Using microbial biosensors that report by producing a rare indicator gas, we identify soil properties that control microbial growth and attenuate the bioavailability of a diffusible chemical used to control community-level behaviors. We find that artificial soils differentially affect signal bioavailability and the growth of Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis) microbes. These artificial soils are useful for studying the mechanisms that underlie soil controls on microbial fitness, signaling, and gene transfer.
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10
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Exploring the roles of microbes in facilitating plant adaptation to climate change. Biochem J 2022; 479:327-335. [PMID: 35119455 PMCID: PMC8883484 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20210793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Plants benefit from their close association with soil microbes which assist in their response to abiotic and biotic stressors. Yet much of what we know about plant stress responses is based on studies where the microbial partners were uncontrolled and unknown. Under climate change, the soil microbial community will also be sensitive to and respond to abiotic and biotic stressors. Thus, facilitating plant adaptation to climate change will require a systems-based approach that accounts for the multi-dimensional nature of plant-microbe-environment interactions. In this perspective, we highlight some of the key factors influencing plant-microbe interactions under stress as well as new tools to facilitate the controlled study of their molecular complexity, such as fabricated ecosystems and synthetic communities. When paired with genomic and biochemical methods, these tools provide researchers with more precision, reproducibility, and manipulability for exploring plant-microbe-environment interactions under a changing climate.
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11
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Zhu X, Wang K, Yan H, Liu C, Zhu X, Chen B. Microfluidics as an Emerging Platform for Exploring Soil Environmental Processes: A Critical Review. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:711-731. [PMID: 34985862 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c03899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Investigating environmental processes, especially those occurring in soils, calls for innovative and multidisciplinary technologies that can provide insights at the microscale. The heterogeneity, opacity, and dynamics make the soil a "black box" where interactions and processes are elusive. Recently, microfluidics has emerged as a powerful research platform and experimental tool which can create artificial soil micromodels, enabling exploring soil processes on a chip. Micro/nanofabricated microfluidic devices can mimic some of the key features of soil with highly controlled physical and chemical microenvironments at the scale of pores, aggregates, and microbes. The combination of various techniques makes microfluidics an integrated approach for observation, reaction, analysis, and characterization. In this review, we systematically summarize the emerging applications of microfluidic soil platforms, from investigating soil interfacial processes and soil microbial processes to soil analysis and high-throughput screening. We highlight how innovative microfluidic devices are used to provide new insights into soil processes, mechanisms, and effects at the microscale, which contribute to an integrated interrogation of the soil systems across different scales. Critical discussions of the practical limitations of microfluidic soil platforms and perspectives of future research directions are summarized. We envisage that microfluidics will represent the technological advances toward microscopic, controllable, and in situ soil research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyu Zhu
- Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Kun Wang
- Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Huicong Yan
- Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Congcong Liu
- Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Xiaoying Zhu
- Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Baoliang Chen
- Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
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12
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Yanagisawa N, Kozgunova E, Grossmann G, Geitmann A, Higashiyama T. Microfluidics-Based Bioassays and Imaging of Plant Cells. PLANT & CELL PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 62:1239-1250. [PMID: 34027549 PMCID: PMC8579190 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcab067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Many plant processes occur in the context of and in interaction with a surrounding matrix such as soil (e.g. root growth and root-microbe interactions) or surrounding tissues (e.g. pollen tube growth through the pistil), making it difficult to study them with high-resolution optical microscopy. Over the past decade, microfabrication techniques have been developed to produce experimental systems that allow researchers to examine cell behavior in microstructured environments that mimic geometrical, physical and/or chemical aspects of the natural growth matrices and that cannot be generated using traditional agar plate assays. These microfabricated environments offer considerable design flexibility as well as the transparency required for high-resolution, light-based microscopy. In addition, microfluidic platforms have been used for various types of bioassays, including cellular force assays, chemoattraction assays and electrotropism assays. Here, we review the recent use of microfluidic devices to study plant cells and organs, including plant roots, root hairs, moss protonemata and pollen tubes. The increasing adoption of microfabrication techniques by the plant science community may transform our approaches to investigating how individual plant cells sense and respond to changes in the physical and chemical environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Yanagisawa
- Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (ITbM), Nagoya University, Nagoya Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601, Japan
| | - Elena Kozgunova
- Department of Plant Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Schänzlestr. 1, Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg 79104, Germany
| | - Guido Grossmann
- Institute of Cell and Interaction Biology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
- Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg 69120, Germany
| | - Anja Geitmann
- Department of Plant Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Québec H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Tetsuya Higashiyama
- Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (ITbM), Nagoya University, Nagoya Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601, Japan
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo City, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
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13
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Jabusch LK, Kim PW, Chiniquy D, Zhao Z, Wang B, Bowen B, Kang AJ, Yoshikuni Y, Deutschbauer AM, Singh AK, Northen TR. Microfabrication of a Chamber for High-Resolution, In Situ Imaging of the Whole Root for Plant-Microbe Interactions. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:7880. [PMID: 34360661 PMCID: PMC8348081 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22157880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Fabricated ecosystems (EcoFABs) offer an innovative approach to in situ examination of microbial establishment patterns around plant roots using nondestructive, high-resolution microscopy. Previously high-resolution imaging was challenging because the roots were not constrained to a fixed distance from the objective. Here, we describe a new 'Imaging EcoFAB' and the use of this device to image the entire root system of growing Brachypodium distachyon at high resolutions (20×, 40×) over a 3-week period. The device is capable of investigating root-microbe interactions of multimember communities. We examined nine strains of Pseudomonas simiae with different fluorescent constructs to B. distachyon and individual cells on root hairs were visible. Succession in the rhizosphere using two different strains of P. simiae was examined, where the second addition was shown to be able to establish in the root tissue. The device was suitable for imaging with different solid media at high magnification, allowing for the imaging of fungal establishment in the rhizosphere. Overall, the Imaging EcoFAB could improve our ability to investigate the spatiotemporal dynamics of the rhizosphere, including studies of fluorescently-tagged, multimember, synthetic communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren K. Jabusch
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (L.K.J.); (D.C.); (A.J.K.); (A.M.D.)
| | - Peter W. Kim
- CBRN Defense and Energy Technologies, Sandia National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
| | - Dawn Chiniquy
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (L.K.J.); (D.C.); (A.J.K.); (A.M.D.)
| | - Zhiying Zhao
- Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (Z.Z.); (B.W.); (B.B.); (Y.Y.)
| | - Bing Wang
- Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (Z.Z.); (B.W.); (B.B.); (Y.Y.)
| | - Benjamin Bowen
- Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (Z.Z.); (B.W.); (B.B.); (Y.Y.)
| | - Ashley J. Kang
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (L.K.J.); (D.C.); (A.J.K.); (A.M.D.)
| | - Yasuo Yoshikuni
- Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (Z.Z.); (B.W.); (B.B.); (Y.Y.)
| | - Adam M. Deutschbauer
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (L.K.J.); (D.C.); (A.J.K.); (A.M.D.)
| | - Anup K. Singh
- Engineering Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA;
| | - Trent R. Northen
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (L.K.J.); (D.C.); (A.J.K.); (A.M.D.)
- Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (Z.Z.); (B.W.); (B.B.); (Y.Y.)
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14
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Methods for Root Exudate Collection and Analysis. METHODS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (CLIFTON, N.J.) 2021; 2232:291-303. [PMID: 33161555 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1040-4_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Plant root exudation has long been recognized as a vital communication system between plants and microbial communities populating the rhizosphere. Due to the high complexity of the collection process and analysis, a variety of techniques have been developed to mimic natural exudation conditions. In addition, significant progress improving existing techniques and developing new methodologies of root exudate collection and analysis have been made. However, optimal standard methods that compare closely with environmental soil conditions are not yet available. In this review, we provide an overview of all those topics and provide suggestions for improvement.
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15
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Yee MO, Kim P, Li Y, Singh AK, Northen TR, Chakraborty R. Specialized Plant Growth Chamber Designs to Study Complex Rhizosphere Interactions. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:625752. [PMID: 33841353 PMCID: PMC8032546 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.625752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The rhizosphere is a dynamic ecosystem shaped by complex interactions between plant roots, soil, microbial communities and other micro- and macro-fauna. Although studied for decades, critical gaps exist in the study of plant roots, the rhizosphere microbiome and the soil system surrounding roots, partly due to the challenges associated with measuring and parsing these spatiotemporal interactions in complex heterogeneous systems such as soil. To overcome the challenges associated with in situ study of rhizosphere interactions, specialized plant growth chamber systems have been developed that mimic the natural growth environment. This review discusses the currently available lab-based systems ranging from widely known rhizotrons to other emerging devices designed to allow continuous monitoring and non-destructive sampling of the rhizosphere ecosystems in real-time throughout the developmental stages of a plant. We categorize them based on the major rhizosphere processes it addresses and identify their unique challenges as well as advantages. We find that while some design elements are shared among different systems (e.g., size exclusion membranes), most of the systems are bespoke and speaks to the intricacies and specialization involved in unraveling the details of rhizosphere processes. We also discuss what we describe as the next generation of growth chamber employing the latest technology as well as the current barriers they face. We conclude with a perspective on the current knowledge gaps in the rhizosphere which can be filled by innovative chamber designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mon Oo Yee
- Climate and Ecosystem Sciences, Earth and Environmental Sciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Peter Kim
- CBRN Defense and Energy Technologies, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA, United States
| | - Yifan Li
- Climate and Ecosystem Sciences, Earth and Environmental Sciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Anup K. Singh
- CBRN Defense and Energy Technologies, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA, United States
| | - Trent R. Northen
- The DOE Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Romy Chakraborty
- Climate and Ecosystem Sciences, Earth and Environmental Sciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
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16
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Wang B, Zhao Z, Jabusch LK, Chiniquy DM, Ono K, Conway JM, Zhang Z, Wang G, Robinson D, Cheng JF, Dangl JL, Northen TR, Yoshikuni Y. CRAGE-Duet Facilitates Modular Assembly of Biological Systems for Studying Plant-Microbe Interactions. ACS Synth Biol 2020; 9:2610-2615. [PMID: 32786359 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.0c00280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Developing sustainable agricultural practices will require increasing our understanding of plant-microbe interactions. To study these interactions, new genetic tools for manipulating nonmodel microbes will be needed. To help meet this need, we recently reported development of chassis-independent recombinase-assisted genome engineering (CRAGE). CRAGE relies on cassette exchange between two pairs of mutually exclusive lox sites and allows direct, single-step chromosomal integration of large, complex gene constructs into diverse bacterial species. We then extended CRAGE by introducing a third mutually exclusive lox site, creating CRAGE-Duet, which allows modular integration of two constructs. CRAGE-Duet offers advantages over CRAGE, especially when a cumbersome recloning step is required to build single-integration constructs. To demonstrate the utility of CRAGE-Duet, we created a set of strains from the plant-growth-promoting rhizobacterium Pseudomonas simiae WCS417r that expressed various fluorescence marker genes. We visualized these strains simultaneously under a confocal microscope, demonstrating the usefulness of CRAGE-Duet for creating biological systems to study plant-microbe interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Wang
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Zhiying Zhao
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Lauren K. Jabusch
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Dawn M. Chiniquy
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Koyo Ono
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Jonathan M. Conway
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Zheyun Zhang
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Gaoyan Wang
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - David Robinson
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Jan-Fang Cheng
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Jeffery L. Dangl
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Trent R. Northen
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Yasuo Yoshikuni
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido 060-8589, Japan
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17
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Sasse J, Kosina SM, de Raad M, Jordan JS, Whiting K, Zhalnina K, Northen TR. Root morphology and exudate availability are shaped by particle size and chemistry in Brachypodium distachyon. PLANT DIRECT 2020; 4:e00207. [PMID: 32642632 PMCID: PMC7330624 DOI: 10.1002/pld3.207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Root morphology and exudation define a plants' sphere of influence in soils. In turn, soil characteristics influence plant growth, morphology, root microbiome, and rhizosphere chemistry. Collectively, all these parameters have significant implications on the major biogeochemical cycles, crop yield, and ecosystem health. However, how plants are shaped by the physiochemistry of soil particles is still not well understood. We explored how particle size and chemistry of growth substrates affect root morphology and exudation of a model grass. We grew Brachypodium distachyon in glass beads with various sizes (0.5, 1, 2, 3 mm), as well as in sand (0.005, 0.25, 4 mm) and in clay (4 mm) particles and in particle-free hydroponic medium. Plant morphology, root weight, and shoot weight were measured. We found that particle size significantly influenced root fresh weight and root length, whereas root number and shoot weight remained constant. Next, plant exudation profiles were analyzed with mass spectrometry imaging and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Mass spectrometry imaging suggested that both, root length and number shape root exudation. Exudate profiles were comparable for plants growing in glass beads or sand with various particles sizes, but distinct for plants growing in clay for in situ exudate collection. Clay particles were found to sorb 20% of compounds exuded by clay-grown plants, and 70% of compounds from a defined exudate medium. The sorbed compounds belonged to a range of chemical classes, among them nucleosides, organic acids, sugars, and amino acids. Some of the sorbed compounds could be desorbed by a rhizobacterium (Pseudomonas fluorescens WCS415), supporting its growth. This study demonstrates the effect of different characteristics of particles on root morphology, plant exudation and availability of nutrients to microorganisms. These findings further support the critical importance of the physiochemical properties of soils when investigating plant morphology, plant chemistry, and plant-microbe interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joelle Sasse
- Environmental Genomics and Systems BiologyLawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBerkeleyCAUSA
- Department of Plant and Microbial BiologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Suzanne M. Kosina
- Environmental Genomics and Systems BiologyLawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBerkeleyCAUSA
| | - Markus de Raad
- Environmental Genomics and Systems BiologyLawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBerkeleyCAUSA
| | - Jacob S. Jordan
- Environmental Genomics and Systems BiologyLawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBerkeleyCAUSA
- Joint Genome InstituteLawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBerkeleyCAUSA
| | - Katherine Whiting
- Environmental Genomics and Systems BiologyLawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBerkeleyCAUSA
| | - Kateryna Zhalnina
- Environmental Genomics and Systems BiologyLawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBerkeleyCAUSA
| | - Trent R. Northen
- Environmental Genomics and Systems BiologyLawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBerkeleyCAUSA
- Joint Genome InstituteLawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBerkeleyCAUSA
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18
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Griffiths M. A 3D Print Repository for Plant Phenomics. PLANT PHENOMICS (WASHINGTON, D.C.) 2020; 2020:8640215. [PMID: 33575669 PMCID: PMC7870102 DOI: 10.34133/2020/8640215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Griffiths
- Noble Research Institute, LLC, 2510 Sam Noble Parkway, Ardmore, OK 73401, USA
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19
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Herbert RA, Eng T, Martinez U, Wang B, Langley S, Wan K, Pidatala V, Hoffman E, Chen JC, Bissell MJ, Brown JB, Mukhopadhyay A, Mortimer JC. Rhizobacteria Mediate the Phytotoxicity of a Range of Biorefinery-Relevant Compounds. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2019; 38:1911-1922. [PMID: 31107972 PMCID: PMC6711798 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Revised: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Advances in engineering biology have expanded the list of renewable compounds that can be produced at scale via biological routes from plant biomass. In most cases, these chemical products have not been evaluated for effects on biological systems, defined in the present study as bioactivity, that may be relevant to their manufacture. For sustainable chemical and fuel production, the industry needs to transition from fossil to renewable carbon sources, resulting in unprecedented expansion in the production and environmental distribution of chemicals used in biomanufacturing. Further, although some chemicals have been assessed for mammalian toxicity, environmental and agricultural hazards are largely unknown. We assessed 6 compounds that are representative of the emerging biofuel and bioproduct manufacturing process for their effect on model plants (Arabidopsis thaliana, Sorghum bicolor) and show that several alter plant seedling physiology at submillimolar concentrations. However, these responses change in the presence of individual bacterial species from the A. thaliana root microbiome. We identified 2 individual microbes that change the effect of chemical treatment on root architecture and a pooled microbial community with different effects relative to its constituents individually. The present study indicates that screening industrial chemicals for bioactivity on model organisms in the presence of their microbiomes is important for biologically and ecologically relevant risk analyses. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:1911-1922. © 2019 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin A. Herbert
- Biological Systems and Engineering DivisionBiosciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, BerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, EmeryvilleCaliforniaUSA
| | - Thomas Eng
- Biological Systems and Engineering DivisionBiosciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, BerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, EmeryvilleCaliforniaUSA
| | - Uriel Martinez
- Biological Systems and Engineering DivisionBiosciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, BerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
- College of Science and EngineeringSan Francisco State University, San FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Brenda Wang
- Biological Systems and Engineering DivisionBiosciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, BerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
| | - Sasha Langley
- Biological Systems and Engineering DivisionBiosciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, BerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
| | - Kenneth Wan
- Biological Systems and Engineering DivisionBiosciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, BerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
| | - Venkataramana Pidatala
- Biological Systems and Engineering DivisionBiosciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, BerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, EmeryvilleCaliforniaUSA
| | - Elijah Hoffman
- Biological Systems and Engineering DivisionBiosciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, BerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
| | - Joseph C. Chen
- College of Science and EngineeringSan Francisco State University, San FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Mina J. Bissell
- Biological Systems and Engineering DivisionBiosciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, BerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
| | - James B. Brown
- Biological Systems and Engineering DivisionBiosciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, BerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
- Environmental Genomics and System Biology DivisionBiosciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, BerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
| | - Aindrila Mukhopadhyay
- Biological Systems and Engineering DivisionBiosciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, BerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, EmeryvilleCaliforniaUSA
- Environmental Genomics and System Biology DivisionBiosciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, BerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jenny C. Mortimer
- Biological Systems and Engineering DivisionBiosciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, BerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, EmeryvilleCaliforniaUSA
- Environmental Genomics and System Biology DivisionBiosciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, BerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
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20
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Li J, Mau RL, Dijkstra P, Koch BJ, Schwartz E, Liu XJA, Morrissey EM, Blazewicz SJ, Pett-Ridge J, Stone BW, Hayer M, Hungate BA. Predictive genomic traits for bacterial growth in culture versus actual growth in soil. THE ISME JOURNAL 2019. [PMID: 31053828 DOI: 10.1038/s41396‐019‐0422‐z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Relationships between microbial genes and performance are often evaluated in the laboratory in pure cultures, with little validation in nature. Here, we show that genomic traits related to laboratory measurements of maximum growth potential failed to predict the growth rates of bacteria in unamended soil, but successfully predicted growth responses to resource pulses: growth increased with 16S rRNA gene copy number and declined with genome size after substrate addition to soils, responses that were repeated in four different ecosystems. Genome size best predicted growth rate in response to addition of glucose alone; adding ammonium with glucose weakened the relationship, and the relationship was absent in nutrient-replete pure cultures, consistent with the idea that reduced genome size is a mechanism of nutrient conservation. Our findings demonstrate that genomic traits of soil bacteria can map to their ecological performance in nature, but the mapping is poor under native soil conditions, where genomic traits related to stress tolerance may prove more predictive. These results remind that phenotype depends on environmental context, underscoring the importance of verifying proposed schemes of trait-based strategies through direct measurement of performance in nature, an important and currently missing foundation for translating microbial processes from genes to ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhui Li
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
| | - Rebecca L Mau
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
| | - Paul Dijkstra
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
| | - Benjamin J Koch
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
| | - Egbert Schwartz
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
| | - Xiao-Jun Allen Liu
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
| | - Ember M Morrissey
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - Steven J Blazewicz
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, 94550, USA
| | - Jennifer Pett-Ridge
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, 94550, USA
| | - Bram W Stone
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
| | - Michaela Hayer
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
| | - Bruce A Hungate
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA. .,Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA.
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21
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Predictive genomic traits for bacterial growth in culture versus actual growth in soil. ISME JOURNAL 2019; 13:2162-2172. [PMID: 31053828 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-019-0422-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2018] [Revised: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Relationships between microbial genes and performance are often evaluated in the laboratory in pure cultures, with little validation in nature. Here, we show that genomic traits related to laboratory measurements of maximum growth potential failed to predict the growth rates of bacteria in unamended soil, but successfully predicted growth responses to resource pulses: growth increased with 16S rRNA gene copy number and declined with genome size after substrate addition to soils, responses that were repeated in four different ecosystems. Genome size best predicted growth rate in response to addition of glucose alone; adding ammonium with glucose weakened the relationship, and the relationship was absent in nutrient-replete pure cultures, consistent with the idea that reduced genome size is a mechanism of nutrient conservation. Our findings demonstrate that genomic traits of soil bacteria can map to their ecological performance in nature, but the mapping is poor under native soil conditions, where genomic traits related to stress tolerance may prove more predictive. These results remind that phenotype depends on environmental context, underscoring the importance of verifying proposed schemes of trait-based strategies through direct measurement of performance in nature, an important and currently missing foundation for translating microbial processes from genes to ecosystems.
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22
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Sasse J, Kant J, Cole BJ, Klein AP, Arsova B, Schlaepfer P, Gao J, Lewald K, Zhalnina K, Kosina S, Bowen BP, Treen D, Vogel J, Visel A, Watt M, Dangl JL, Northen TR. Multilab EcoFAB study shows highly reproducible physiology and depletion of soil metabolites by a model grass. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019. [PMID: 30585637 DOI: 10.1101/435818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
There is a dynamic reciprocity between plants and their environment: soil physiochemical properties influence plant morphology and metabolism, and root morphology and exudates shape the environment surrounding roots. Here, we investigate the reproducibility of plant trait changes in response to three growth environments. We utilized fabricated ecosystem (EcoFAB) devices to grow the model grass Brachypodium distachyon in three distinct media across four laboratories: phosphate-sufficient and -deficient mineral media allowed assessment of the effects of phosphate starvation, and a complex, sterile soil extract represented a more natural environment with yet uncharacterized effects on plant growth and metabolism. Tissue weight and phosphate content, total root length, and root tissue and exudate metabolic profiles were consistent across laboratories and distinct between experimental treatments. Plants grown in soil extract were morphologically and metabolically distinct, with root hairs four times longer than with other growth conditions. Further, plants depleted half of the metabolites investigated from the soil extract. To interact with their environment, plants not only adapt morphology and release complex metabolite mixtures, but also selectively deplete a range of soil-derived metabolites. The EcoFABs utilized here generated high interlaboratory reproducibility, demonstrating their value in standardized investigations of plant traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joelle Sasse
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, USA
| | - Josefine Kant
- Institut für Bio- & Geowissenschaften, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428, Jülich, Germany
| | - Benjamin J Cole
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, USA
| | - Andrew P Klein
- Department of Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, 250 Bell Tower Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Borjana Arsova
- Institut für Bio- & Geowissenschaften, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428, Jülich, Germany
| | - Pascal Schlaepfer
- Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, ETH Zürich, Universitätsstrasse 2, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jian Gao
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, USA
| | - Kyle Lewald
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, USA
| | - Kateryna Zhalnina
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, USA
| | - Suzanne Kosina
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, USA
| | - Benjamin P Bowen
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, USA
| | - Daniel Treen
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, USA
| | - John Vogel
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, USA
| | - Axel Visel
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, USA
- School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, CA, 95343, USA
| | - Michelle Watt
- Institut für Bio- & Geowissenschaften, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428, Jülich, Germany
| | - Jeffery L Dangl
- Department of Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, 250 Bell Tower Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Trent R Northen
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, USA
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23
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Sasse J, Kant J, Cole BJ, Klein AP, Arsova B, Schlaepfer P, Gao J, Lewald K, Zhalnina K, Kosina S, Bowen BP, Treen D, Vogel J, Visel A, Watt M, Dangl JL, Northen TR. Multilab EcoFAB study shows highly reproducible physiology and depletion of soil metabolites by a model grass. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 222:1149-1160. [PMID: 30585637 PMCID: PMC6519027 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
There is a dynamic reciprocity between plants and their environment: soil physiochemical properties influence plant morphology and metabolism, and root morphology and exudates shape the environment surrounding roots. Here, we investigate the reproducibility of plant trait changes in response to three growth environments. We utilized fabricated ecosystem (EcoFAB) devices to grow the model grass Brachypodium distachyon in three distinct media across four laboratories: phosphate-sufficient and -deficient mineral media allowed assessment of the effects of phosphate starvation, and a complex, sterile soil extract represented a more natural environment with yet uncharacterized effects on plant growth and metabolism. Tissue weight and phosphate content, total root length, and root tissue and exudate metabolic profiles were consistent across laboratories and distinct between experimental treatments. Plants grown in soil extract were morphologically and metabolically distinct, with root hairs four times longer than with other growth conditions. Further, plants depleted half of the metabolites investigated from the soil extract. To interact with their environment, plants not only adapt morphology and release complex metabolite mixtures, but also selectively deplete a range of soil-derived metabolites. The EcoFABs utilized here generated high interlaboratory reproducibility, demonstrating their value in standardized investigations of plant traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joelle Sasse
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory1 Cyclotron RoadBerkeleyCA94720USA
- Joint Genome Institute2800 Mitchell DriveWalnut CreekCA94598USA
| | - Josefine Kant
- Institut für Bio‐ & GeowissenschaftenForschungszentrum JülichWilhelm‐Johnen‐Straße52428JülichGermany
| | - Benjamin J. Cole
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory1 Cyclotron RoadBerkeleyCA94720USA
- Joint Genome Institute2800 Mitchell DriveWalnut CreekCA94598USA
| | - Andrew P. Klein
- Department of BiologyHoward Hughes Medical InstituteUniversity of North Carolina Chapel Hill250 Bell Tower DriveChapel HillNC27599USA
| | - Borjana Arsova
- Institut für Bio‐ & GeowissenschaftenForschungszentrum JülichWilhelm‐Johnen‐Straße52428JülichGermany
| | - Pascal Schlaepfer
- Institute of Molecular Plant BiologyETH ZürichUniversitätsstrasse 28092ZürichSwitzerland
| | - Jian Gao
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory1 Cyclotron RoadBerkeleyCA94720USA
- Joint Genome Institute2800 Mitchell DriveWalnut CreekCA94598USA
| | - Kyle Lewald
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory1 Cyclotron RoadBerkeleyCA94720USA
- Joint Genome Institute2800 Mitchell DriveWalnut CreekCA94598USA
| | - Kateryna Zhalnina
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory1 Cyclotron RoadBerkeleyCA94720USA
- Joint Genome Institute2800 Mitchell DriveWalnut CreekCA94598USA
| | - Suzanne Kosina
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory1 Cyclotron RoadBerkeleyCA94720USA
- Joint Genome Institute2800 Mitchell DriveWalnut CreekCA94598USA
| | - Benjamin P. Bowen
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory1 Cyclotron RoadBerkeleyCA94720USA
- Joint Genome Institute2800 Mitchell DriveWalnut CreekCA94598USA
| | - Daniel Treen
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory1 Cyclotron RoadBerkeleyCA94720USA
- Joint Genome Institute2800 Mitchell DriveWalnut CreekCA94598USA
| | - John Vogel
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory1 Cyclotron RoadBerkeleyCA94720USA
- Joint Genome Institute2800 Mitchell DriveWalnut CreekCA94598USA
| | - Axel Visel
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory1 Cyclotron RoadBerkeleyCA94720USA
- Joint Genome Institute2800 Mitchell DriveWalnut CreekCA94598USA
- School of Natural SciencesUniversity of CaliforniaMercedCA95343USA
| | - Michelle Watt
- Institut für Bio‐ & GeowissenschaftenForschungszentrum JülichWilhelm‐Johnen‐Straße52428JülichGermany
| | - Jeffery L. Dangl
- Department of BiologyHoward Hughes Medical InstituteUniversity of North Carolina Chapel Hill250 Bell Tower DriveChapel HillNC27599USA
| | - Trent R. Northen
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory1 Cyclotron RoadBerkeleyCA94720USA
- Joint Genome Institute2800 Mitchell DriveWalnut CreekCA94598USA
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24
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Need for Laboratory Ecosystems To Unravel the Structures and Functions of Soil Microbial Communities Mediated by Chemistry. mBio 2018; 9:mBio.01175-18. [PMID: 30018110 PMCID: PMC6050955 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01175-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The chemistry underpinning microbial interactions provides an integrative framework for linking the activities of individual microbes, microbial communities, plants, and their environments. Currently, we know very little about the functions of genes and metabolites within these communities because genome annotations and functions are derived from the minority of microbes that have been propagated in the laboratory. Yet the diversity, complexity, inaccessibility, and irreproducibility of native microbial consortia limit our ability to interpret chemical signaling and map metabolic networks. In this perspective, we contend that standardized laboratory ecosystems are needed to dissect the chemistry of soil microbiomes. We argue that dissemination and application of standardized laboratory ecosystems will be transformative for the field, much like how model organisms have played critical roles in advancing biochemistry and molecular and cellular biology. Community consensus on fabricated ecosystems ("EcoFABs") along with protocols and data standards will integrate efforts and enable rapid improvements in our understanding of the biochemical ecology of microbial communities.
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