Winogradsky columns as a strategy to study typically rare microbial eukaryotes

Area of Science:

• Soil microbiology
• Eukaryotic microbial ecology
• Molecular ecology

Background:

• Winogradsky columns are established tools for soil microbial community studies.
• Previous research has predominantly focused on bacterial diversity, overlooking microbial eukaryotes (ME).
• The ecological significance of ME in soil necessitates further investigation into their diversity and abundance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To survey microbial eukaryote diversity and abundance in an experimental Winogradsky soil column.
• To assess the effectiveness of Winogradsky columns for studying ME in soil.
• To identify predominant and rare ME lineages within the column.

Main Methods:

• Utilized DNA metabarcoding targeting the V4 region of the 18S rRNA gene.
• Employed high-throughput sequencing for comprehensive ME analysis.
• Analyzed ME diversity and abundance across different depths of the soil column.

Main Results:

• Identified Cercozoa, Apicomplexa, and Ciliophora as predominant ME groups, consistent with natural soil surveys.
• Detected abundant populations of typically rare ME lineages, including Vampyrellida and Breviatea, at specific depths.
• Demonstrated significant ME diversity within the experimental soil column.

Conclusions:

• Experimental soil columns serve as effective enrichment cultures for microbial eukaryotes.
• Winogradsky columns can enhance the study of soil microbial eukaryote diversity and ecology.
• This approach facilitates the discovery of both common and rare ME in soil environments.