Experimental and molecular approximation to microbial niche: trophic interactions between oribatid mites and microfungi in an oligotrophic freshwater system.

ABSTRACT: Mite-fungal interactions play a key role in structuring core ecosystem processes such as nutrient dynamics. Despite their ecological relevance, these cross-kingdom interactions remain poorly understood particularly in extreme environments. Herein, we investigated feeding preferences of a novel genetic lineage of aquatic oribatids obtained from an oligotrophic freshwater system in the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin (CCB) within the Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico. During in vitro diet preference bioassays, transient aquatic microfungi (Aspergillus niger, Talaromyces sp., and Pleosporales sp.) recovered from the same mesocosm samples were offered individually and simultaneously to mites. Gut content was analyzed using classic plating and culture-independent direct PCR (focusing on the

SUBMITTER: Velez P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6045919 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature