Linking soil biology and chemistry in biological soil crust using isolate exometabolomics.

ABSTRACT: Metagenomic sequencing provides a window into microbial community structure and metabolic potential; however, linking these data to exogenous metabolites that microorganisms process and produce (the exometabolome) remains challenging. Previously, we observed strong exometabolite niche partitioning among bacterial isolates from biological soil crust (biocrust). Here we examine native biocrust to determine if these patterns are reproduced in the environment. Overall, most soil metabolites display the expected relationship (positive or negative correlation) with four dominant bacteria following a wetting event and across biocrust developmental stages. For metabolites that were previously found to be consumed by an isolate, 70% are negatively correlated with the abundance of the isolate's clos

SUBMITTER: Swenson TL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5750228 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature