Biology subjects

Fernandes, A. S.

Publications and source records attributed to Fernandes, A. S..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2023

Insights into Plant Interactions and the Biogeochemical Role of the Globally Widespread Acidobacteriota Phylum

The prevalence and abundance of Acidobacteriota raise concerns about their ecological function and metabolic activity in the environment. Studies have reported the potential of some members of Acidobacteriota to interact with plants and play a significant role in biogeochemical cycles. However, their role in this context has not been extensively studied. Here, we performed a comprehensive genomic analysis of 758 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) and 121 RefSeq genomes of Acidobacteriota. Our analysis revealed a high frequency of plant growth-promoting traits (PGPTs) genes in the Acidobacteriaceae, Bryobacteraceae, Koribacteraceae, and Pyrinomonadaceae families. These PGPTs include genes involved in nitrogen fixation, phosphorus solubilization, exopolysaccharide production, siderophore production, and plant growth hormone production. Expression of such genes was found to be transcriptionally active in different environments. In addition, we identified numerous carbohydrate-active enzymes and peptidases involved in plant polymer degradation. By applying an in-depth insight into the diversity of the phylum, we expanded previous role in carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and trace metal cycling. This study underscores the distinct potential ecological roles of each of these taxonomic groups, providing valuable insights for future research.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2020

Multimodal Influences on Learning Walks in Desert Ants (Cataglyphis fortis)

Ants are excellent navigators taking into account multimodal sensory information as they move through the world. To be able to accurately localise the nest at the end of a foraging journey, visual cues, wind direction and also olfactory cues need to be learnt. Learning walks are performed at the start of an ants foraging career or when the appearance of the nest surrounding has changed. We investigated here whether the structure of such learning walks in the desert ant Cataglyphis fortis takes into account wind direction in conjunction with the learning of new visual information. Ants learnt to travel back and forth between their nest and a feeder, and we then introduced a black cylinder near their nest to induce learning walks in regular foragers. By doing this across days with different prevailing wind directions, we were able to probe how ants balance the influence of different sensory modalities. We found that (i) the ants outwards headings are influenced by the direction of the wind with their routes deflected in such a way that they will arrive downwind of their nest when homing, (ii) a novel object along the route induces learning walks in experienced ants and (iii) the structure of learning walks is shaped by the wind direction rather than the position of the visual cue.

animal behavior and cognition↗