Dataset Information

Microbial community functioning during plant litter decomposition.

ABSTRACT: Microbial life in soil is fueled by dissolved organic matter (DOM) that leaches from the litter layer. It is well known that decomposer communities adapt to the available litter source, but it remains unclear if they functionally compete or synergistically address different litter types. Therefore, we decomposed beech, oak, pine and grass litter from two geologically distinct sites in a lab-scale decomposition experiment. We performed a correlative network analysis on the results of direct infusion HR-MS DOM analysis and cross-validated functional predictions from 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and with DOM and metaproteomic analyses. Here we show that many functions are redundantly distributed within decomposer communities and that their relative expression is rapidly optimized to address litter-specific properties. However, community changes are likely forced by antagonistic mechanisms as we identified several natural antibiotics in DOM. As a consequence, the decomposer community is specializing towards the litter source and the state of decomposition (community divergence) but showing similar litter metabolomes (metabolome convergence). Our multi-omics-based results highlight that DOM not only fuels microbial life, but it additionally holds meta-metabolomic information on the functioning of ecosystems.

SUBMITTER: Schroeter SA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9076648 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Microbial community functioning during plant litter decomposition.

Schroeter Simon A SA Eveillard Damien D Chaffron Samuel S Zoppi Johanna J Kampe Bernd B Lohmann Patrick P Jehmlich Nico N von Bergen Martin M Sanchez-Arcos Carlos C Pohnert Georg G Taubert Martin M Küsel Kirsten K Gleixner Gerd G

Scientific reports 20220506 1

Microbial life in soil is fueled by dissolved organic matter (DOM) that leaches from the litter layer. It is well known that decomposer communities adapt to the available litter source, but it remains unclear if they functionally compete or synergistically address different litter types. Therefore, we decomposed beech, oak, pine and grass litter from two geologically distinct sites in a lab-scale decomposition experiment. We performed a correlative network analysis on the results of direct infus ...[more]

PMID: 35523988

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Dataset Information

Microbial community functioning during plant litter decomposition.

Publications

Microbial community functioning during plant litter decomposition.

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