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High Throughput Co-culture Assays for the Investigation of Microbial Interactions
07:00

High Throughput Co-culture Assays for the Investigation of Microbial Interactions

Published on: October 15, 2019

Synergistic action of both Aspergillus niger and Burkholderia cepacea in co-culture increases phosphate

Rosângela Rodrigues Braz1, Ely Nahas

  • 1Program of Postgraduate in Soil Science, Faculty of Agronomy and Veterinary Sciences/UNESP, São Paulo, Brazil.

FEMS Microbiology Letters
|April 26, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Co-inoculating Aspergillus niger and Burkholderia cepacia enhances phosphate solubilization synergistically. This microbial synergy boosts soluble phosphate levels, benefiting crops in low-phosphate soils.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Soil Science
  • Biotechnology

Background:

  • Phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms (PSM) are crucial for nutrient cycling.
  • Understanding interspecies interactions among PSM can optimize their application.
  • Aspergillus niger and Burkholderia cepacia are known PSM with potential synergistic effects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the interaction between Aspergillus niger and Burkholderia cepacia.
  • To evaluate the phosphate solubilization efficiency of a co-culture versus single cultures.
  • To determine the impact of co-inoculation on microbial biomass, acidity, and enzyme activity.

Main Methods:

  • Co-inoculation of A. niger and B. cepacia in liquid culture.
  • Incubation for 9 days with monitoring of microbial biomass, soluble phosphate, titratable acidity, and acid phosphatase activity.
  • Measurement of pH and glucose concentration changes.
  • In vitro assessment of calcium phosphate (CaHPO4) solubilization.

Main Results:

  • Co-culture significantly enhanced microbial biomass, soluble phosphate levels, and acid phosphatase activity compared to single cultures.
  • Phosphate solubilization by the co-culture was 9-22% higher than single cultures, reaching up to 1103.64 μg PO43- mL(-1).
  • Acid production was 19-90% greater in the co-culture, leading to a significant pH drop.

Conclusions:

  • A remarkable synergism exists between A. niger and B. cepacia for phosphate solubilization.
  • Co-inoculation significantly improves the solubilization of poorly available phosphate sources.
  • This microbial synergy holds promise for enhancing phosphate availability in agricultural soils.

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