Hunters or farmers? Microbiome characteristics help elucidate the diet composition in an aquatic carnivorous plant.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Utricularia are rootless aquatic carnivorous plants which have recently attracted the attention of researchers due to the peculiarities of their miniaturized genomes. Here, we focus on a novel aspect of Utricularia ecophysiology-the interactions with and within the complex communities of microorganisms colonizing their traps and external surfaces.

Results

Bacteria, fungi, algae, and protozoa inhabit the miniature ecosystem of the Utricularia trap lumen and are involved in the regeneration of nutrients from complex organic matter. By combining molecular methods, microscopy, and other approaches to assess the trap-associated microbial community structure, diversity, function, as well as the nutrient turn-over potential of bacterivory, we gained insight into the nutr

SUBMITTER: Sirova D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6297986 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature