Keystone taxa as drivers of microbiome structure and functioning.

Area of Science:

• Microbial Ecology
• Ecosystem Function
• Microbiome Research

Background:

• Microorganisms play a critical role in ecosystem functioning.
• Keystone taxa, critical microbial groups, influence community composition and function irrespective of abundance.
• Understanding these keystone taxa is vital for managing microbial communities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a definition for keystone taxa in microbial ecology.
• To summarize identified microbial keystone taxa across various ecosystems.
• To explore the significance of keystone taxa and guilds in microbiome structure and function.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and synthesis of existing research on microbial keystone taxa.
• Identification and categorization of over 200 microbial keystone taxa.
• Analysis of factors influencing keystone taxa distribution and activity.

Main Results:

• A clear definition of microbial keystone taxa is proposed.
• Over 200 microbial keystone taxa have been identified in soil, plant, marine, and human microbiomes.
• Keystone taxa and guilds significantly impact microbiome structure and function.

Conclusions:

• Keystone taxa are essential drivers of microbial community dynamics and ecosystem processes.
• The proposed definition and summarized taxa provide a framework for future research.
• Understanding keystone taxa distribution and activity is key to microbiome engineering and management.