Project description:1. Decomposition of lignin-rich wood by fungi drives nutrient recycling in woodland ecosystems. Fluctuating abiotic conditions are known to promote the functioning of ecological communities and ecosystems. In the context of wood decay, fluctuating temperature increases decomposition rates. Metabolomics, in tandem with other ‘omics tools, can highlight the metabolic processes affected by experimental treatments, even in the absence of genome sequences and annotations. Globally, natural wood decay communities are dominated by the phylum Basidiomycota. We examined the metabolic responses of Mucidula mucida, a dominant constituent of pioneer communities in beech branches in British woodlands, and Exidia glandulosa, a stress-selected constituent of the same communities, in response to constant and diurnally cycling temperature. 2. We applied untargeted metabolomics and proteomics to beech wood blocks, colonised by M. mucida or E. glandulosa and exposed to either diurnally cycling (mean 15 ± 10°C) or constant (15°C) temperature, in a fully factorial design. 3. Metabolites and proteins linked to lignin breakdown, the citric acid cycle, pentose phosphate pathway, carbohydrate metabolism, fatty acid metabolism and protein biosynthesis and turnover were under-enriched in fluctuating, compared to stable temperatures, in the generalist M. mucida. Conversely E. glandulosa showed little differential response to the experimental treatments. 4. Synthesis. By demonstrating temperature dependant metabolic signatures related to nutrient acquisition in a generalist wood decay fungus, we provide new insights into how abiotic conditions can affect community-mediated decomposition and carbon turnover in forests. We show that mechanisms underpinning important biogeochemical processes can be highlighted using untargeted metabolomics and proteomics in the absence of well-annotated genomes.
Project description:Decomposition of lignin-rich wood by fungi drives nutrient recycling in woodland ecosystems. Fluctuating abiotic conditions are known to promote the functioning of ecological communities and ecosystems. In the context of wood decay, fluctuating temperature increases decomposition rates. Metabolomics, in tandem with other ‘omics tools, can highlight the metabolic processes affected by experimental treatments, even in the absence of genome sequences and annotations. Globally, natural wood decay communities are dominated by the phylum Basidiomycota. We examined the metabolic responses of Mucidula mucida, a dominant constituent of pioneer communities in beech branches in British woodlands, and Exidia glandulosa, a stress-selected constituent of the same communities, in response to constant and diurnally cycling temperature. We applied untargeted metabolomics and proteomics to beech wood blocks, colonised by M. mucida or E. glandulosa and exposed to either diurnally cycling (mean 15 ± 10°C) or constant (15°C) temperature, in a fully factorial design. Metabolites and proteins linked to lignin breakdown, the citric acid cycle, pentose phosphate pathway, carbohydrate metabolism, fatty acid metabolism and protein biosynthesis and turnover were under-enriched in fluctuating, compared to stable temperatures, in the generalist M. mucida. Conversely E. glandulosa showed little differential response to the experimental treatments. By demonstrating temperature dependant metabolic signatures related to nutrient acquisition in a generalist wood decay fungus, we provide new insights into how abiotic conditions can affect community-mediated decomposition and carbon turnover in forests. We show that mechanisms underpinning important biogeochemical processes can be highlighted using untargeted metabolomics and proteomics in the absence of well-annotated genomes.
2021-06-03 | PXD026003 | Pride
Project description:Yeasts associated to fruits from central Amazon Rain Forest
Project description:Abstract: Drought is the primary cause of global agricultural losses and represents a major threat to worldwide food security. Currently, plant biotechnology stands out as the most promising strategy to increase crop growth in rain-fed conditions. The main mechanisms underlying drought resistance have been uncovered by studies of plant physiology and by engineering crops with drought-resistant genes. However, plants with enhanced drought resistance usually display lower levels of growth, highlighting the need to search for novel strategies capable of uncoupling drought resistance from growth. Here, we show that the brassinosteroid family of receptors, in addition to promoting growth, guides phenotypic adaptation to a great variety of drought stress traits analyzed herein. Whilst mutations in the ubiquitously localized BRI1 receptor pathway show an enhanced drought resistance at the expense of plant growth, we found that vascular-enriched BRL3 receptors confer drought tolerance without penalizing overall growth. Systematic analyses reveal that upon drought stress the BRL3 receptor pathway triggers the synthesis and mobilization of osmoprotectant metabolites, mainly proline and sugars. This preferentially occurs in the vascular tissues of the roots and favors overall plant growth. Altogether, our results uncover a new role for the spatial control of BR signaling in drought tolerance, and offer a novel strategy to address food security issues in an increasingly water-limited climate.
Project description:Abstract: Drought is the primary cause of global agricultural losses and represents a major threat to worldwide food security. Currently, plant biotechnology stands out as the most promising strategy to increase crop growth in rain-fed conditions. The main mechanisms underlying drought resistance have been uncovered by studies of plant physiology and by engineering crops with drought-resistant genes. However, plants with enhanced drought resistance usually display lower levels of growth, highlighting the need to search for novel strategies capable of uncoupling drought resistance from growth. Here, we show that the brassinosteroid family of receptors, in addition to promoting growth, guides phenotypic adaptation to a great variety of drought stress traits analyzed herein. Whilst mutations in the ubiquitously localized BRI1 receptor pathway show an enhanced drought resistance at the expense of plant growth, we found that vascular-enriched BRL3 receptors confer drought tolerance without penalizing overall growth. Systematic analyses reveal that upon drought stress the BRL3 receptor pathway triggers the synthesis and mobilization of osmoprotectant metabolites, mainly proline and sugars. This preferentially occurs in the vascular tissues of the roots and favors overall plant growth. Altogether, our results uncover a new role for the spatial control of BR signaling in drought tolerance, and offer a novel strategy to address food security issues in an increasingly water-limited climate.