Sex-specific interactions shape root phenolics and rhizosphere microbial communities in Populus cathayana

Mimosa acutistipula var. ferrea (Fabaceae) is endemic to ferruginous tropical rocky outcrops in the eastern Amazon, also known as canga. Canga are often associated with mining activities and are the target of protection and rehabilitation projects. M. acutistipula stands out in this biodiversity hotspot with high growth rates, even in rehabilitating minelands (RMs). However, little is known about the diversity of soil microorganisms interacting with M. acutistipula in canga and RMs. This study analyzed the rhizosphere-associated bacterial and fungal microbial communities associated with M. acutistipula growing in an RM and a native shrub canga. The fungal phylum Ascomycota was the dominant taxa identified in the rhizosphere of the canga (RA: 98.1) and RM (RA: 93.1). The bacterial phyla Proteobacteria (RA: 54.3) and Acidobacteria (RA: 56.2) were the dominant taxa identified in the rhizosphere in the canga and RM, respectively. Beneficial genera such as Bradyrhizobium, Rhodoplanes, and Paraconiothyrium were identified in the rhizosphere of M. acutistipula in both areas. However, the analyses showed that the fungal and bacterial diversity differed between the rhizosphere of the canga and RM, and that the microbial taxa adapted to the canga (i.e., Rasamsonia, Scytalidium, Roseiarcus, and Rhodomicrobium) were lacking in the RM. This influences the microbe-mediated soil processes, affecting long-term rehabilitation success. The results showed that M. acutistipula established non-specific interactions with soil microorganisms, including beneficial taxa such as nitrogen-fixing bacteria, mycorrhizal fungi, and other beneficial endophytes, well known for their importance in plant adaptation and survival. High levels of microbe association and a plant’s ability to recruit a wide range of soil microorganisms help to explain M. acutistipula’s success in rehabilitating minelands.

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Sex-specific interactions affect foliar defense compound accumulation and resistance to herbivores in Populus cathayana

The Science of The Total Environment ◽

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145819 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 774 ◽

pp. 145819

Author(s):

Yue He ◽

Zuodong Zhu ◽

Qingxue Guo ◽

Zhichao Xia

Keyword(s):

Specific Interactions ◽

Populus Cathayana ◽

Defense Compound

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Divergence of phyllosphere microbial communities between females and males of the dioecious Populus cathayana

Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions ◽

10.1094/mpmi-07-20-0178-r ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Liling Liu ◽

Lu Lu ◽

Huilin Li ◽

Zhensi Meng ◽

Tingfa Dong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Microbial Communities ◽

Fungal Communities ◽

Dioecious Plants ◽

Sexual Discrimination ◽

Bacterial Phyla ◽

Populus Cathayana ◽

Physiological Properties ◽

Bacteria And Fungi ◽

Associated Species ◽

Phyllosphere Bacteria

Females and males of dioecious plants have evolved sex-specific characteristics in terms of their morphological and physiological properties. However, the differentiation of phyllosphere microbiota in dioecious plants remains largely unexplored. Here, the diversity and composition of female and male Populus cathayana phyllosphere bacterial and fungal communities were investigated using 16S rRNA/ITS1 gene-based MiSeq sequencing. The divergences of bacterial and fungal community compositions occurred between females and males. Both females and males had their unique phyllosphere bacteria and fungi microbiota, such as bacteria Gemmata (5.41%) and fungi Pringsheimia (0.03%) in females, and bacteria Chitinophaga (0.009%) and fungi Phaeococcomyces (0.02%) in males. Significant differences in the relative abundance of bacterial phyla Proteobacteria, Planctomycetes and the fungal phyla Ascomycota, Basidiomycota (P < 0.05) were also found between females and males. Some bacterial genera Spirosoma and Amnibacterium, and fungal genera Venturia, Suillus, and Elmerina were significantly enriched in males (P < 0.05). In contrast, fungal genera Phoma and Aureobasidium were found significantly higher in females than in males (P < 0.05). The mineral, inorganic and organic nutrients content contributed differently to the divergence of female and male phyllosphere microbial communities, with 87.08% and 45.17% of the variations being explained for bacterial and fungal communities, respectively. These results highlight the sexual discrimination of phyllosphere microbes on the dioecious plants and provide hints on the potential host-associated species in phyllosphere environments.

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A peek in the micro-sized world: a review of design principles, engineering tools, and applications of engineered microbial community

Biochemical Society Transactions ◽

10.1042/bst20190172 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 48 (2) ◽

pp. 399-409

Author(s):

Baizhen Gao ◽

Rushant Sabnis ◽

Tommaso Costantini ◽

Robert Jinkerson ◽

Qing Sun

Keyword(s):

Microbial Community ◽

Microbial Communities ◽

Environmental Remediation ◽

Real Life ◽

Design Principles ◽

Microbial Interactions ◽

Potential Applications ◽

New Gene ◽

Global Biogeochemical Cycles ◽

Synthetic Microbial Communities

Microbial communities drive diverse processes that impact nearly everything on this planet, from global biogeochemical cycles to human health. Harnessing the power of these microorganisms could provide solutions to many of the challenges that face society. However, naturally occurring microbial communities are not optimized for anthropogenic use. An emerging area of research is focusing on engineering synthetic microbial communities to carry out predefined functions. Microbial community engineers are applying design principles like top-down and bottom-up approaches to create synthetic microbial communities having a myriad of real-life applications in health care, disease prevention, and environmental remediation. Multiple genetic engineering tools and delivery approaches can be used to ‘knock-in' new gene functions into microbial communities. A systematic study of the microbial interactions, community assembling principles, and engineering tools are necessary for us to understand the microbial community and to better utilize them. Continued analysis and effort are required to further the current and potential applications of synthetic microbial communities.

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