Project description:Increased root H+ secretion is known as a strategy of plant adaption to low phosphorus (P) stress by enhancing mobilization of sparingly soluble P-sources. However, it remains fragmentarywhether enhanced H+ exudation could reconstruct the plant rhizosphere microbial community under low P stress. The present study found that P deficiency led to enhanced H+ exudation from soybean (Glycine max) roots. Three out of all eleven soybean H+-pyrophosphatases (GmVP) geneswere up-regulated by Pi starvation in soybean roots. Among them, GmVP2 showed the highest expression level under low P conditions. Transient expression of a GmVP2-green fluorescent protein chimera in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) leaves, and functional characterization of GmVP2 in transgenic soybean hairy roots demonstrated that GmVP2 encoded a plasma membrane transporter that mediated H+ exudation. Meanwhile, GmVP2-overexpression in Arabidopsis thaliana resulted in enhanced root H+ exudation, promoted plant growth, and improved sparingly soluble Ca-P utilization. Overexpression of GmVP2 also changed the rhizospheric microbial community structures, as reflected by a preferential accumulation of acidobacteria in the rhizosphere soils. These results suggested that GmVP2 mediated Pi-starvation responsive H+ exudation,which is not only involved in plant growth and mobilization of sparingly soluble P-sources, but also affects microbial community structures in soils.
Project description:To understand microbial community functional structures of activated sludge in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and the effects of environmental factors on their structure, 12 activated sludge samples were collected from four WWTPs in Beijing. GeoChip 4.2 was used to determine the microbial functional genes involved in a variety of biogeochemical processes. The results showed that, for each gene category, such as egl, amyA, nir, ppx, dsrA sox and benAB, there were a number of microorganisms shared by all 12 samples, suggestive of the presence of a core microbial community in the activated sludge of four WWTPs. Variance partitioning analyses (VPA) showed that a total of 53% of microbial community variation can be explained by wastewater characteristics (25%) and operational parameters (23%), respectively. This study provided an overall picture of microbial community functional structures of activated sludge in WWTPs and discerned the linkages between microbial communities and environmental variables in WWTPs.
Project description:To understand microbial community functional structures of activated sludge in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and the effects of environmental factors on their structure, 12 activated sludge samples were collected from four WWTPs in Beijing. GeoChip 4.2 was used to determine the microbial functional genes involved in a variety of biogeochemical processes. The results showed that, for each gene category, such as egl, amyA, nir, ppx, dsrA sox and benAB, there were a number of microorganisms shared by all 12 samples, suggestive of the presence of a core microbial community in the activated sludge of four WWTPs. Variance partitioning analyses (VPA) showed that a total of 53% of microbial community variation can be explained by wastewater characteristics (25%) and operational parameters (23%), respectively. This study provided an overall picture of microbial community functional structures of activated sludge in WWTPs and discerned the linkages between microbial communities and environmental variables in WWTPs. Four full-scale wastewater treatment systems located in Beijing were investigated. Triplicate samples were collected in each site.
Project description:Plants in their natural and agricultural environments are continuously exposed to a plethora of diverse microorganisms resulting in microbial colonization of plants in the rhizosphere. This process is believed to be accompanied by an intricate network of ongoing simultaneous interactions. In this study, we compared transcriptional patterns of Arabidopsis thaliana roots and shoots in the presence and absence of whole microbial communities extracted from compost soil. The results show a clear growth promoting effect of Arabidopsis shoots in the presence of soil microbes compared to axenically grown plants under identical conditions. Element analyses showed that iron uptake was facilitated by these mixed microbial communities which also lead to transcriptional downregulation of genes required for iron transport. In addition, soil microbial communities suppressed the expression of marker genes involved in oxidative stress/redox signalling, cell wall modification and plant defense. While most previous studies have focussed on individual plant-microbe interactions, our data suggest that multi-species transcriptional profiling, using simultaneous plant and metatranscriptomics coupled to metagenomics may be required to further increase our understanding of the intricate networks underlying plant-microbe interactions in their diverse environments.
Project description:Functional redundancy in bacterial communities is expected to allow microbial assemblages to survive perturbation by allowing continuity in function despite compositional changes in communities. Recent evidence suggests, however, that microbial communities change both composition and function as a result of disturbance. We present evidence for a third response: resistance. We examined microbial community response to perturbation caused by nutrient enrichment in salt marsh sediments using deep pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA and functional gene microarrays targeting the nirS gene. Composition of the microbial community, as demonstrated by both genes, was unaffected by significant variations in external nutrient supply, despite demonstrable and diverse nutrient–induced changes in many aspects of marsh ecology. The lack of response to external forcing demonstrates a remarkable uncoupling between microbial composition and ecosystem-level biogeochemical processes and suggests that sediment microbial communities are able to resist some forms of perturbation.
Project description:Functional redundancy in bacterial communities is expected to allow microbial assemblages to survive perturbation by allowing continuity in function despite compositional changes in communities. Recent evidence suggests, however, that microbial communities change both composition and function as a result of disturbance. We present evidence for a third response: resistance. We examined microbial community response to perturbation caused by nutrient enrichment in salt marsh sediments using deep pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA and functional gene microarrays targeting the nirS gene. Composition of the microbial community, as demonstrated by both genes, was unaffected by significant variations in external nutrient supply, despite demonstrable and diverse nutrient–induced changes in many aspects of marsh ecology. The lack of response to external forcing demonstrates a remarkable uncoupling between microbial composition and ecosystem-level biogeochemical processes and suggests that sediment microbial communities are able to resist some forms of perturbation. nirS gene diversity from two salt marsh experiments, GSM (4 treatments, 8 samples, duplicate arrays, four replicate blocks per array, 8 arrays per slide) and PIE (2 treatments, 16 samples, duplicate arrays four replicate blocks per array, 8 arrays per slide)
Project description:This study investigates the role of carbon-to-phosphorus (C/P) ratios in shaping microbial community dynamics and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) production in sequencing batch reactors (SBR) fed with volatile fatty acids. Three conditions, characterized by fixed organic loading rates but varying C/P ratios (Run 1 = 170 Cmol Pmol-1; Run 2 = 235 Cmol Pmol-1; Run 3 = 400 Cmol Pmol-1;), were tested to explore their impact on PHA accumulation, biomass growth, and reactor stability. Results indicate that the moderate phosphorus limitation of Run 2 achieves the best overall performance, with a PHA volumetric productivity of 2.02 g PHA L⁻¹ d⁻¹ and process stability. Under these conditions, PHA-accumulating bacteria, primarily Sphaerotilus and Leadbetterella, dominated the microbial community, with a notable contribution from eukaryotic organisms, particularly Rhogostoma, Vorticella and Tokophrya, which appeared to regulate bacterial populations through selective predation. Conversely, higher C/P ratio increased the storage yield but lowered the productivity (1.55 gPHA L-1 h-1), compromising sludge settleability and reactor stability, indicating impaired microbial functionality. Transmission electron microscopy further confirmed the presence of intracellular PHA granules and polyphosphate reserves, reinforcing the connection between nutrient limitation and adaptive microbial strategies. Overall, these findings highlight the critical role of the C/P ratio in shaping the performance of mixed microbial cultures, demonstrating that a well-balanced nutrient supply can enhance PHA production while maintaining microbial community stability. The results contribute to optimizing the selection process for mixed microbial cultures, offering valuable insights into the impact of carbon-to-nutrient ratios in the feeding strategy.
Project description:This study investigates the role of carbon-to-phosphorus (C/P) ratios in shaping microbial community dynamics and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) production in sequencing batch reactors (SBR) fed with volatile fatty acids. Three conditions, characterized by fixed organic loading rates but varying C/P ratios (Run 1 = 170 Cmol Pmol-1; Run 2 = 235 Cmol Pmol-1; Run 3 = 400 Cmol Pmol-1;), were tested to explore their impact on PHA accumulation, biomass growth, and reactor stability. Results indicate that the moderate phosphorus limitation of Run 2 achieves the best overall performance, with a PHA volumetric productivity of 2.02 g PHA L⁻¹ d⁻¹ and process stability. Under these conditions, PHA-accumulating bacteria, primarily Sphaerotilus and Leadbetterella, dominated the microbial community, with a notable contribution from eukaryotic organisms, particularly Rhogostoma, Vorticella and Tokophrya, which appeared to regulate bacterial populations through selective predation. Conversely, higher C/P ratio increased the storage yield but lowered the productivity (1.55 gPHA L-1 h-1), compromising sludge settleability and reactor stability, indicating impaired microbial functionality. Transmission electron microscopy further confirmed the presence of intracellular PHA granules and polyphosphate reserves, reinforcing the connection between nutrient limitation and adaptive microbial strategies. Overall, these findings highlight the critical role of the C/P ratio in shaping the performance of mixed microbial cultures, demonstrating that a well-balanced nutrient supply can enhance PHA production while maintaining microbial community stability. The results contribute to optimizing the selection process for mixed microbial cultures, offering valuable insights into the impact of carbon-to-nutrient ratios in the feeding strategy.
Project description:This study investigates the role of carbon-to-phosphorus (C/P) ratios in shaping microbial community dynamics and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) production in sequencing batch reactors (SBR) fed with volatile fatty acids. Three conditions, characterized by fixed organic loading rates but varying C/P ratios (Run 1 = 170 Cmol Pmol-1; Run 2 = 235 Cmol Pmol-1; Run 3 = 400 Cmol Pmol-1;), were tested to explore their impact on PHA accumulation, biomass growth, and reactor stability. Results indicate that the moderate phosphorus limitation of Run 2 achieves the best overall performance, with a PHA volumetric productivity of 2.02 g PHA L⁻¹ d⁻¹ and process stability. Under these conditions, PHA-accumulating bacteria, primarily Sphaerotilus and Leadbetterella, dominated the microbial community, with a notable contribution from eukaryotic organisms, particularly Rhogostoma, Vorticella and Tokophrya, which appeared to regulate bacterial populations through selective predation. Conversely, higher C/P ratio increased the storage yield but lowered the productivity (1.55 gPHA L-1 h-1), compromising sludge settleability and reactor stability, indicating impaired microbial functionality. Transmission electron microscopy further confirmed the presence of intracellular PHA granules and polyphosphate reserves, reinforcing the connection between nutrient limitation and adaptive microbial strategies. Overall, these findings highlight the critical role of the C/P ratio in shaping the performance of mixed microbial cultures, demonstrating that a well-balanced nutrient supply can enhance PHA production while maintaining microbial community stability. The results contribute to optimizing the selection process for mixed microbial cultures, offering valuable insights into the impact of carbon-to-nutrient ratios in the feeding strategy.
Project description:Plants in their natural and agricultural environments are continuously exposed to a plethora of diverse microorganisms resulting in microbial colonization of plants in the rhizosphere. This process is believed to be accompanied by an intricate network of ongoing simultaneous interactions. In this study, we compared transcriptional patterns of Arabidopsis thaliana roots and shoots in the presence and absence of whole microbial communities extracted from compost soil. The results show a clear growth promoting effect of Arabidopsis shoots in the presence of soil microbes compared to axenically grown plants under identical conditions. Element analyses showed that iron uptake was facilitated by these mixed microbial communities which also lead to transcriptional downregulation of genes required for iron transport. In addition, soil microbial communities suppressed the expression of marker genes involved in oxidative stress/redox signalling, cell wall modification and plant defense. While most previous studies have focussed on individual plant-microbe interactions, our data suggest that multi-species transcriptional profiling, using simultaneous plant and metatranscriptomics coupled to metagenomics may be required to further increase our understanding of the intricate networks underlying plant-microbe interactions in their diverse environments. Four samples were analysed in total. One corresponded to a pooled sample of RNA extracted from root tissues of 60 plants. The other three were biological replicates from shoot tissues, each of which contained 20 plants. Controls were used as reference and corresponded to tissues of plants grown in sterile conditions.