Vitamin auxotrophies shape microbial community assembly on model marine particles.

ABSTRACT: Microbial community assembly is governed by the flow of carbon sources and other primary metabolites between species. However, central metabolism represents only a small fraction of the biosynthetic repertoire of microbes: metabolites such as antimicrobial compounds, signaling molecules, and co-factors are underexplored in their potential to shape microbial communities. Here, we focus on B vitamin exchange in marine bacterial communities that degrade polysaccharides, a key component of particulate organic matter. We found that in a screen of 150 natural isolates, almost a third were auxotrophs for one or more B vitamins. By measuring physiological parameters such as uptake affinities and comparing those to ambient seawater concentrations, we showed that marine bacteria live at the edge of

SUBMITTER: Gregor R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12448291 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature