Microorganisms facilitate uptake of dissolved organic nitrogen by seagrass leaves.

ABSTRACT: Microorganisms play a critical role in nitrogen cycling by mineralising dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) compounds into bioavailable inorganic forms (DIN). Although DIN is crucial for seagrass growth, the hypothesis that seagrass leaf associated-microorganisms could convert DON to forms available for plant uptake has never been tested. We conducted a laboratory-based experiment in which seagrass (Posidonia sinuosa) leaves were incubated with ¹⁵N-amino acids (aa), with and without associated microorganisms. Samples were collected after 0.5, 2, 6 and 12 h. Both bulk stable isotope and nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) analysis showed high accumulation of ¹⁵N within seagrass leaf tissues with an associated microbiota, but not in plants devoid of microo

SUBMITTER: Tarquinio F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6194017 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature