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Prospecting Microbial Strains for Bioremediation and Probiotics Development for Metaorganism Research and Preservation
Published on: October 31, 2019
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Microbial response to simulated global change is phylogenetically conserved and linked with functional potential
Anthony S Amend1, Adam C Martiny2,3, Steven D Allison2,3
1Department of Botany, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA.
The ISME Journal
|June 6, 2015
Summary
Predicting microbial community shifts due to global change is challenging. This study reveals that phylogenetic relatedness and functional traits can predict how bacteria and fungi respond to drought and nitrogen fertilization, offering a new framework for ecological forecasting.
Area of Science:
- Microbial Ecology
- Global Change Biology
- Phylogenetics and Trait-Based Ecology
Background:
- High microbial diversity complicates predictions of community responses to global change.
- Understanding microbial responses is crucial for predicting ecosystem functions under environmental stress.
- Phylogenetic and trait-based approaches offer potential frameworks for ecological forecasting.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the utility of a phylogenetic, trait-based framework for predicting microbial community responses to global change.
- To assess the phylogenetic conservation of bacterial and fungal responses to simulated drought and nitrogen fertilization.
- To correlate microbial responses with functional traits, such as carbohydrate degradation capabilities.
Main Methods:
- Replicated grassland plots were subjected to simulated drought and nitrogen fertilization for over three years.
- Bacterial and fungal communities in leaf litter were analyzed for changes in relative abundance.
- Phylogenetic analyses were used to determine the conservation of responses, and functional traits (glycoside hydrolase genes) were quantified.
Main Results:
- Microbial responses to drought and nitrogen fertilization were significantly phylogenetically conserved, with related microbes showing similar abundance shifts.
- A microbe's response to one treatment was correlated with its response to the other, suggesting general resistance to change.
- Bacterial responses correlated with functional traits related to carbohydrate degradation, and fungal responses to drought were more conserved than to nitrogen fertilization.
Conclusions:
- A phylogenetic, trait-based framework can effectively predict shifts in microbial community composition and function under global change scenarios.
- Phylogenetic relatedness is a key factor in determining microbial responses to environmental disturbances.
- Functional traits provide additional predictive power for microbial responses to global change.
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