Biology subjects

Jenab, K.

Publications and source records attributed to Jenab, K..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Soil microbes prefer organic acids over sugars in simulated root exudation

Sugars and organic acids, primary components in plant root exudates, are thought to enhance microbial decomposition of organic matter in the rhizosphere. However, their specific impacts on microbial activity and nutrient mobilisation remain poorly understood. Here, we simulated passive root exudation to investigate the distinct effects of sugars and organic acids on microbial metabolism in the rhizosphere. We released 13C- labelled sugars and/or organic acids via reverse microdialysis into intact meadow and forest soils over 6-hours. We measured substrate-induced microbial respiration, soil organic matter mineralization, metabolite concentrations, and substrate incorporation into lipid-derived fatty acids. Our results reveal a pronounced microbial preference for organic acids over sugars, with organic acids being removed faster from the exudation spot and preferentially respired by microbes. Unlike sugars, organic acids increased concentrations of microbial metabolic byproducts and cations (K, Ca, Mg) near the exudation spot. Our results challenge the prevailing assumption that sugars are the most readily available and rapidly consumed substrates for soil microbes. Microbial preference for organic acids indicates a trade-off between rapid biomass growth and ATP yield. Our findings underscore the significant role of exudate composition in influencing microbial dynamics and nutrient availability, and emphasize the importance of biotic and abiotic feedback mechanisms in the rhizosphere in regulating root exudation.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2024

Strong family- and guild-specific responses of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to long-term deficiencies and imbalances of N, P and K

O_LIMany agroecosystems face nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) or potassium (K) deficiencies due to imbalanced or insufficient nutrient replenishment after plant biomass harvest. How this affects the symbiosis between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and the abundance of exploration-based AMF guilds (i.e., rhizophilic, edaphophilic, ancestral) remains largely unknown. C_LIO_LIWe studied a 70-year nutrient-deficiency experiment in a managed grassland in central Austria, where aboveground biomass was harvested three times annually. N, P and K were fully, partially, or not replenished, causing long-term nutrient deficiencies and imbalances. We analysed AMF communities in soil and roots by DNA/RNA amplicon sequencing and fatty-acid biomarkers, alongside soil and plant community properties. C_LIO_LISoil AMF communities were affected by N and P deficiencies, while root AMF communities were most susceptible to K deficiency, showing a 50% biomass reduction. We observed distinct guild- and family-specific responses: The edaphophilic guild declined with N deficiency, while the rhizophilic guild decreased with P and K deficiencies. Families within each guild, particularly in the ancestral guild, showed differential responses, indicating complementary nutrient specializations at the family level. C_LIO_LIOur findings underscore the previously unrecognized role of K deficiency in AMF symbiosis and suggest the existence of nutrient-related functional subgroups within exploration-based AMF guilds. C_LI

ecology↗

bioRxiv2024

Distinct microbial communities are linked to organic matter properties in millimetre-sized soil aggregates

Soils provide essential ecosystem services and represent the most diverse habitat on Earth. It has been suggested that the presence of various physico-chemically heterogenous microhabitats supports the enormous diversity of microbial communities in soil. However, little is known about the relationship between microbial communities and their immediate environment at the micro- to millimetre-scale. In this study, we examined whether bacteria, archaea, and fungi organise into distinct communities in individual 2-millimetre-sized soil aggregates and compared them to communities of homogenized bulk soil samples. Furthermore, we investigated their relationship to their local environment by concomitantly determining microbial community structure and physico-chemical properties from the same individual aggregates. Aggregate-communities displayed exceptionally high beta-diversity, with 3-4 aggregates collectively capturing more diversity than their homogenized parent soil core. Up to 20-30% of ASVs (particularly rare ones) were unique to individual aggregates selected within a few centimetres. Aggregates and bulk soil samples showed partly different dominant phyla, indicating that taxa that are potentially driving biogeochemical processes at the small scale may not be recognized when analysing larger soil volumes. Microbial community composition and richness of individual aggregates were closely related to aggregate-specific carbon and nitrogen content, carbon stable-isotope composition, and soil moisture, indicating that aggregates provide a stable environment for sufficient time to allow co-development of communities and their environment. We conclude that the soil microbiome is a metacommunity of variable subcommunities. Our study highlights the necessity to study small, spatially coherent soil samples to better understand controls of community structure and community-mediated processes in soils.

ecology↗