Temporal dynamics of microbial transcription in wetted hyperarid desert soils.

ABSTRACT: Rainfall is rare in hyperarid deserts but, when it occurs, it triggers large biological responses essential for the long-term maintenance of the ecosystem. In drylands, microbes play major roles in nutrient cycling, but their responses to short-lived opportunity windows are poorly understood. Due to its ephemeral nature, mRNA is ideally suited to study microbiome dynamics upon abrupt changes in the environment. We analyzed microbial community transcriptomes after simulated rainfall in a Namib Desert soil over 7 days. Using total mRNA from dry and watered plots we infer short-term functional responses in the microbiome. A rapid two-phase cycle of activation and return to basal state was completed in a short period. Motility systems activated immediately, whereas competition-toxicity increas

SUBMITTER: Leon-Sobrino C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10913055 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature