Biology subjects

Salles, J. F.

Publications and source records attributed to Salles, J. F..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Biological management, rather than chemical management, promotes the interaction between plants and their microbiome

In the face of climate change, developing sustainable agricultural practices to reduce the use of synthetic herbicides and pesticides is crucial. However, breeding for higher yields can lead to the decoupling of plant roots and beneficial rhizosphere microbes. In this study, we aim to identify potato cultivars with functional traits facilitating efficient interactions with the rhizosphere microbiome under various agricultural treatments in the field. With the results of profiling microbial communities with amplicon sequencing data of bacteria (16S rRNA gene fragments) and fungi (ITS2 region), a piecewise structural equation model was developed. This model explains the trade-off effects of agricultural management and potato cultivars on plant growth by affecting the rhizosphere microbiome. Furthermore, we highlight that plant cultivar and the rhizosphere microbiome together determine plant below-ground growth under biological management. In contrast, both components are found to be uncoupled under chemical and control management. Our study reveals the importance of considering microbiomes in the breeding process to achieve the goals of sustainable agriculture.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2023

Community coalescence altered the potential of horizontal gene transfers within the native soil microbiome

Microbial community coalescence, which refers to the mixing of microbial communities, frequently shapes the assemblage of soil microbiomes in natural ecosystems. It can exert selective pressure on the coalescent taxa, leading to ecological changes in microbial community structure or microbial evolutionary changes via horizontal gene transfer (HGT). However, the influence of community coalescence on the potential of HGTs within native communities, particularly in soil ecosystems, remains poorly understood. Here, we experimentally quantified the potential evolutionary consequences of soil coalescence. We achieved that by subjecting microcosms containing natural soil to invasion by several microbial communities and profiling mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and adaptive genes of microbial communities up to 60 days after coalescence. Our findings revealed both specific and common responses of MGEs to coalescences over time. Specific effects differed across invasive communities and were particularly pronounced in the early stages. Common effects were associated with an increased abundance of insertion sequences (ISs) across different treatments, suggesting that ISs played a crucial role in promoting diversification at the community level. In summary, we showed that changing MGE profiles are an intrinsic response of the soil microbial community to coalescence-imposed pressure. Our study provides new insights into the modulation of adaptability in soil microbial communities by utilizing community coalescences to address global challenges.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2023

Do inoculated microbial consortia perform better than single strains in living soil? A meta-analysis

Microbial consortium inoculation has been proposed as a natural-based strategy to safeguard multiple ecosystem services. Still, its empirical effects and comparisons to single-species inoculation have yet to be systematically quantified. In this global meta-analysis of 51 live-soil studies, we compared the impact (mean and variability) of single-species and consortium inoculations on biofertilization and bioremediation. Our results showed that both single-species and consortium inoculations increased plant growth by 29% and 48%, respectively, and pollution remediation by 48% and 80%, respectively, compared with non-inoculated treatments. We revealed the potential mechanisms contributing to the effectiveness of consortium inoculation, which are associated with the diversity of inoculants and the synergistic effect between frequently used inoculums (e.g., Bacillus and Pseudomonas). Despite a reduction in efficacy in field settings compared to greenhouse results, consortium inoculation had a more significant overall advantage under various conditions. We recommend increasing original soil organic matter, N, and P content and regulating soil pH to 6-7 to achieve a better inoculation effect. Overall, these findings support the use of microbial consortia for improved biofertilization and bioremediation in living soil and suggest perspectives for constructing and inoculating beneficial microbial consortia.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2022

More persistent bacterial than fungal associations in the microbiota of a pest

The invasive fly Drosophila suzukii is a pest that can infest a diverse range of intact, ripening fruits, using its serrated ovipositor. This constitutes a different niche compared to the rotting fruits its ancestors use, especially because these intact fruits have limited quantities of microbes and soluble nutrients for the developing larvae. To investigate the potential role of microbial associations in the niche expansion of this invasive fly, we characterized the bacterial and fungal communities of D. suzukii and various wild fruits from which they developed. To assess cross-generational microbial associations, we also lab-reared fly populations and characterized their microbial communities. Diversity metrics of microbial communities differed significantly between flies and fruits. Different fruit types varied substantially in microbial composition, while flies showed relatively uniform bacterial communities, irrespective of the fruit source they developed on. After lab-rearing, bacterial communities still showed considerable overlap with those of wild flies. Fungal communities of flies and fruits showed larger resemblance, with a substantial overlap between wild flies and the corresponding fruits on which they had developed. Our study thus reports that the fungal community structure in these pests largely reflects those on the breeding substrates, while these flies might have formed more persistent associations with bacteria and transmit these across generations rather than obtaining them from their food source.

ecology↗