Plant-by-Plant Variations of Bacterial Communities Associated with Leaves of the Nickel Hyperaccumulator Alyssum bertolonii Desv.

Bacteria associated with tissues of metal-hyperaccumulating plants are of great interest due to the multiple roles they may play with respect to plant growth and resistance to heavy metals. The variability of bacterial communities associated with plant tissues of three populations of Alyssum bertolonii, a Ni hyperaccumulator endemic of serpentine outcrops of Central Italy, was investigated. Terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of bacterial 16S rRNA genes was applied to DNA extracted from leaf tissues of 30 individual plants from three geographically separated serpentine outcrops. Moreover, T-RFLP fingerprinting was also performed on DNA extracted from the same soils from which the plants were collected. Fifty-nine unique terminal-restriction fragments (TRFs) were identified, with more than half of the taxonomically interpreted TRFs assigned to Alpha- and Gamma-Proteobacteria and Clostridia. Data were then used to define the extent of variation of bacterial communities due to single plants or to plant populations. Results indicated a very high plant-by-plant variation of leaf-associated community (more than 93% of total variance observed). However, a core (numerically small) of plant-specific TRFs was found. This work demonstrates that plant-associated bacterial communities represent a large reservoir of biodiversity and that the high variability existing between plants, even from the same population, should be taken into account in future studies on association between bacteria and metal-hyperaccumulating plants.     

Comparison of Rhizosphere Bacterial Communities in Arabidopsis thaliana Mutants for Systemic Acquired Resistance

Systemic acquired resistance (SAR) is an inducible systemic plant defense against a broad spectrum of plant pathogens, with the potential to secrete antimicrobial compounds into the soil. However, its impact on rhizosphere bacteria is not known. In this study, we examined fingerprints of bacterial communities in the rhizosphere of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana to determine the effect of SAR on bacterial community structure and diversity. We compared Arabidopsis mutants that are constitutive and non-inducible for SAR and verified SAR activation by measuring pathogenesis-related protein activity via a β-glucoronidase (GUS) reporter construct driven by the β-1-3 glucanase promoter. We used terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of MspI- and HaeIII-digested 16S rDNA to estimate bacterial rhizosphere community diversity, with Lactobacillus sp. added as internal controls. T-RFLP analysis showed a clear rhizosphere effect on community structure, and diversity analysis of both rhizosphere and bulk soil operational taxonomic units (as defined by terminal restriction fragments) using richness, Shannon–Weiner, and Simpson’s diversity indices and evenness confirmed that the presence of Arabidopsis roots significantly altered bacterial communities. This effect of altered soil microbial community structure by plants was also seen upon multivariate cluster analysis of the terminal restriction fragments. We also found visible differences in the rhizosphere community fingerprints of different Arabidopsis SAR mutants; however, there was no clear decrease of rhizosphere diversity because of constitutive SAR expression. Our study suggests that SAR can alter rhizosphere bacterial communities, opening the door to further understanding and application of inducible plant defense as a driving force in structuring soil bacterial assemblages.     

Bacterial community structure associated with the rhizosphere soils and roots of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stellera chamaejasme</Emphasis> L. along a Tibetan elevation gradient

The effect of altitude on the composition and diversity of microbial communities have attracted highly attention recently but is still poorly understood. We used 16S rRNA gene clone library analyses to characterize the bacterial communities from the rhizosphere and roots of Stellera chamaejasme in the Tibetan Plateau. Our results revealed that Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria were dominant bacteria in this medicinal plant in the rhizosphere and root communities. The Shannon diversity index showed that the bacterial diversity of rhizosphere follows a small saddle pattern, while the roots possesses of a hump-backed trend. Significant differences in the composition of bacterial communities between rhizosphere and roots were detected based on multiple comparisons analysis. The community of Actinobacteria was found to be significantly negative correlated with soil available P (p?<?0.01), while the phylum of Proteobacteria showed a positive relationship with available P (p?<?0.05). Moreover, redundancy analysis indicated that soil phosphorus, pH, latitude, elevation and potassium positively correlated with bacterial communities associated with rhizosphere soils. Taken together, we provide evidence that bacterial communities associated with S. chamaejasme exhibited some certain elevational pattern, and bacterial communities of rhizosphere soil were regulated by environmental characteristics along elevational gradients in this alpine ecosystem.     

两种盐生植物根际土壤细菌多样性和群落结构

应用高通量测序技术对西北干旱区两种盐生植物黑果枸杞和里海盐爪爪根际土壤细菌的多样性和群落结构进行研究,旨在揭示两种耐盐植物根际土壤细菌之间以及根际与非根际细菌群落结构间的差异,为深入研究盐生植物根际土壤微生物与耐盐性之间的关系提供理论基础。结果表明:黑果枸杞、里海盐爪爪根际细菌多样性丰度高于非根际土,黑果枸杞根际土壤细菌多样性丰度高于里海盐爪爪。根际和非根际土壤细菌群落的组成和丰度存在差异,从黑果枸杞和里海盐爪爪根际土壤中分别检测出细菌21门289属和22门304属,而从非根际土壤中分别检测出28门285属和24门336属;在两种盐生植物根际土壤中,变形菌门和厚壁菌门均为优势门;拟杆菌门、放线菌门、蓝细菌门及浮霉菌门在根际土壤中的丰度显著高于非根际土壤,而厚壁菌门在根际土壤中的丰度低于非根际土壤。两种植物根际土壤中的细菌优势门和优势属的数量均高于非根际土壤,在黑果枸杞和里海盐爪爪的根际土壤中的细菌优势属分别有10个和9个,而二者非根际土壤中的细菌优势属各有4个,其中假单胞菌属是根际和非根际土壤中的共有优势属。黑果枸杞和里海盐爪爪根系细菌群落组成和丰度存在差异,只有假单胞菌属和盐单胞菌属是两种植物根际土壤中的共有优势属。Unifrac分析和聚类分析表明,两种盐生植物根际土壤细菌之间的相似性大于根际和非根际细菌群落间的相似性。细菌多样性与土壤有机碳、有机质、总氮正相关,与pH、电导率负相关,电导率和pH,有机碳和总氮分别是非根际土,根际土壤细菌群落物种组成的主要影响因素。     

Serpentine Soils Do Not Limit Mycorrhizal Fungal Diversity

Background

Physiologically stressful environments tend to host depauperate and specialized biological communities. Serpentine soils exemplify this phenomenon by imposing well-known constraints on plants; however, their effect on other organisms is still poorly understood.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We used a combination of field and molecular approaches to test the hypothesis that serpentine fungal communities are species-poor and specialized. We conducted surveys of ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity from adjacent serpentine and non-serpentine sites, described fungal communities using nrDNA Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) fragment and sequence analyses, and compared their phylogenetic community structure. Although we detected low fungal overlap across the two habitats, we found serpentine soils to support rich fungal communities that include representatives from all major fungal lineages. We failed to detect the phylogenetic signature of endemic clades that would result from specialization and adaptive radiation within this habitat.

Conclusions/Significance

Our results indicate that serpentine soils do not constitute an extreme environment for ectomycorrhizal fungi, and raise important questions about the role of symbioses in edaphic tolerance and the maintenance of biodiversity.     

Mycorrhizal ecology on serpentine soils

Background: Serpentine ecosystems support different, often unique, plant communities; however, we know little about the soil organisms that associate with these ecosystems. Mycorrhizas, mutualistic symbioses between fungi and roots, are critical to nutrient cycling and energy exchange below ground.

Aims: We address three hypotheses: H1, diversity of mycorrhizal fungi in serpentine soils mirrors above-ground plant diversity; H2, the morphology of mycorrhizas and fungi on serpentine soils differs from that on non-serpentine; and H3, mycorrhizal fungal communities of the same or closely related hosts differ between serpentine and non-serpentine soils.

Methods: This review focuses on whether plant diversity on serpentine soils correlates with the below ground diversity of mycorrhizal fungi.

Results: Studies show that plants and fungi formed abundant ectomycorrhizal and arbuscular mycorrhizal symbioses on and off serpentine soils. No serpentine-endemic fungi were identified. Molecular analyses indicate distinct serpentine isolates for Cenococcum geophilum and for Acaulospora, suggesting adaptation to serpentine soils. While fungal sporocarp assemblages on serpentine sites resembled those off serpentine, fruiting of hypogeous fungi was greatly reduced.

Conclusions: Ectomycorrhizal fungal communities did not differ between soil types; however, arbuscular mycorrhizal communities differed in some cases but not others. The additive response to multiple factors, described as the serpentine syndrome, may explain part of the response by fungi.     

不同品种酿酒葡萄根围、叶围微生物群落结构特点解析

【目的】了解不同品种酿酒葡萄根围、叶围细菌群落结构。【方法】以不同品种酿酒葡萄根围、叶围样品为分析材料,采用末端限制性片段长度多态性(T-RFLP)技术研究根围、叶围细菌群落结构,并对细菌群落多样性进行分析。【结果】不同品种葡萄根围微生物优势菌群为变形菌门,不同品种葡萄叶围微生物优势菌群为放线菌目。根围Simpson指数大小顺序为白福尔琼瑶浆白诗南赛美蓉白玉霓米勒长相思,Shannon指数与Simpson指数基本保持一致。叶围Simpson指数最大的为白诗南,最小的为米勒,与Shannon指数基本吻合。【结论】葡萄细菌群落结构综合多样性指数和品种以及定殖部位密切相关。     

Effect of long‐term mineral fertilisation on soil microbial abundance,community structure and diversity in a Typic Hapludoll under intensive farming systems

Fertiliser application can not only influence plant communities, but also the soil microbial community dynamics, and consequently soil quality. Specifically, mineral fertilisation can directly or indirectly affect soil chemical properties, microbial abundance and, the structure and diversity of soil microbial communities. We investigated the impact of six different mineral fertiliser regimes in a maize/soybean rotation system: control (CK, without fertilisation), PS (application of phosphorus plus sulphur), NS (application of nitrogen plus S), NP (application of N plus P), NPS (application of N, P plus S) and NPSm (application of N, P, S plus micronutrients). Soil samples were collected at the physiological maturity stage of maize and soybean in March of 2013 and 2014, respectively. Overall, mineral fertilisation resulted in significantly decreased soil pH and increased total organic carbon compared with the control (CK). The analysis of terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T‐RFLP) revealed that mineral fertilisers caused a shift in the composition of both bacterial and fungal communities. In 2013, the highest value of Shannon diversity of bacterial terminal restriction fragments (TRFs) was found in control soils. In 2014, NPSm treated soils showed the lowest values of diversity for both bacterial and fungal TRFs. In both crop growing seasons, the analysis of phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) detected the lowest value of total microbial biomass under CK. As PLFA analysis can be used to evaluate total microbial community, this result suggests that fertilisation increased total microbial biomass. When the bacterial and fungal abundance were examined using real time polymerase chain reaction, the results revealed that mineral fertilisation led to decreased bacterial abundance (16S rRNA), while fungal abundance (18S rRNA) was found to be increased in both crop growing seasons. Our results show that mineral fertiliser application has a significant impact on soil properties, bacterial and fungal abundance and microbial diversity. However, further studies are needed to better understand the mechanisms involved in the changes to microbial communities as a consequence of mineral fertilisation.     

不同生境黑果枸杞根际与非根际土壤微生物群落多样性

研究典型生境黑果枸杞根际与非根际土壤微生物群落多样性及其与土壤理化性质间的关系,为进一步研究黑果枸杞抗逆性提供理论数据。采集新疆精河县艾比湖地区(EB)盐碱地、乌苏市(WS)路旁荒地、五家渠市(WQ)人工林带的黑果枸杞根际与非根际土壤,利用Illumina-MiSeq高通量测序技术分析细菌和真菌群落组成和多样性。结果表明:根际土壤细菌多样性高于非根际土壤(WQ除外),而根际真菌多样性低于非根际土壤。WQ非根际土壤细菌和真菌多样性均高于EB和WS;根际细菌多样性排序为EBWSWQ,根际真菌多样性排序为WSEBWQ。根际土壤优势细菌门依次是变形菌门、拟杆菌门、放线菌门、酸杆菌门,真菌优势门为子囊菌门、担子菌门。根际土壤细菌变形菌门、拟杆菌门、酸杆菌门的相对丰度高于非根际土壤,而厚壁菌在根际土壤中的丰度显著降低,真菌优势门丰度在根际土和非根际土中的变化趋势因地区而异; Haliea、Gp10、Pelagibius、Microbulbifer、假单胞菌属、Thioprofundum、Deferrisoma是根际土壤细菌优势属;多孢子菌属、支顶孢属、Corollospora、Cochlonema是根际真菌优势属。细菌、真菌优势类群(门、属)的组成以及丰富度存在地区间差异,厚壁菌门在EB地区的丰富度显著高于含盐量较低的WS、WQ;盐碱生境EB中根际土壤嗜盐细菌的丰度高于非盐碱生境(WQ、WS),如盐单胞菌属、动性球菌属、Geminicoccu、Pelagibius、Gracilimonas、Salinimicrobium等。小囊菌属是EB根际真菌的最优势属,Melanoleuca是WQ和WS的最优势属,地孔菌属、Xenobotrytis、Brachyconidiellopsis、多孢子菌属等在EB根际土壤中的丰度显著高于WQ和WS。非盐碱生境(WS和WQ)的微生物群落之间的相似性较高,并且高于与盐碱环境(EB)之间的相似性,表明土壤含盐量对微生物群落组成丰度具有重要的影响。     

Epiphytic bacterial communities of the alga <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fucus vesiculosus</Emphasis> in oil-contaminated water areas of the Barents Sea

Taxonomic compositions of epiphytic bacterial communities in water areas differing in levels of oil pollution were revealed. In total, 82 bacterial genera belonging to 16 classes and 11 phyla were detected. All detected representatives of epiphytic bacterial communities belonged to the phyla Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Planctomycetes, Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Acidobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Firmicutes, and Fusobacteria and candidate division TM7. The ratio of the phyla in the communities varied depending on the levels of oil pollution. New data on taxonomic composition of uncultivated epiphytic bacterial communities of Fucus vesiculosus were obtained.     

Engineering Root Exudation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lotus</Emphasis> toward the Production of Two Novel Carbon Compounds Leads to the Selection of Distinct Microbial Populations in the Rhizosphere

The culture of opine-producing transgenic Lotus plants induces the increase in the rhizosphere of bacterial communities that are able to utilize these molecules as sole carbon source. We used transgenic Lotus plants producing two opines, namely mannopine and nopaline, to characterize the microbial communities directly influenced by the modification of root exudation. We showed that opine-utilizers represent a large community in the rhizosphere of opine-producing transgenic Lotus. This community is composed of at least 12 different bacterial species, one third of which are able to utilize the opine mannopine and two thirds the opine nopaline. Opine utilizers are diverse, belonging to the Gram-positive and -negative bacteria. We described two novel mannopine-utilizing species, Rhizobium and Duganella spp., and five novel nopaline-utilizing species, Duganella, Afipia, Phyllobacterium, Arthrobacter, and Bosea spp. Although opine utilizers mostly belong to the -Proteobacteria, Rhizobiaceae family, there is little overlap between the populations able to utilize each of the two opines produced by the plants. Noticeably, in the rhizosphere of transgenic Lotus, only the opine mannopine favors the growth of Agrobacterium tumefaciens, the bacterium from which opines have been characterized. The diversity of opine utilizers from the rhizosphere of Lotus plants is greater than that observed from any other environment. Therefore, transgenic plants with engineered exudation constitute an excellent tool to isolate and characterize specific microbial populations.     

Variation in Microbial Community Composition and Culturability in the Rhizosphere of Leucanthemopsis alpina (L.) Heywood and Adjacent Bare Soil Along an Alpine Chronosequence

We compared the size, culturability, diversity, and dominant species similarity of the bacterial communities of Leucanthemopsis alpina (L.) Heywood rhizosphere and adjacent bare soil (interspace) along a chronosequence of soil development time (5, 50, and 70 years) in the forefield of the Dammaglacier (Switzerland). We found no evidence that the size of the bacterial community was significantly affected by either soil age or the presence of L. alpina. In contrast, the proportion of the bacterial community that could be cultured on nonselective agars, and which was taken as an indication of the proportion of r-selected populations, was significantly higher in the 50- and 70-year-old soils than in the 5-year-old soil, and was also significantly higher in the rhizosphere of L. alpina at all time points. RDA indicated significant correlations between the increased culturability of the bacterial community over time and increasing concentrations of labile N, and between the increased culturability in the rhizosphere and increased concentrations of labile C and N. HaeIII-amplified ribosomal DNA (rDNA) restriction analysis of a library of 120 clones of 16S rDNA revealed 85 distinct phylotypes. Hurlbert's probability of interspecific encounter (PIE) values derived from this library ranged from 0.95 to 1.0, indicating a very high genetic diversity. There was no significant difference in the PIE values of rhizosphere and interspace communities. Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) community profiles clearly distinguished the rhizosphere from the interspace community in the 5-year-old soils and also clearly distinguished between these communities and the rhizosphere and interspace communities of the 50- and 70-year-old soils. However, 16S rRNA DGGE revealed little difference between rhizosphere and interspace communities in the 50- and 70-year-old soils. The relative similarity of the 16S rRNA profiles strongly reflected labile carbon and nitrogen availability. Overall, our results suggest that improved C and N availability in the rhizosphere of L. alpina increases the size of r-selected bacterial species populations, but that the influence of L. alpina depends on soil age, being maximal in the youngest soils and minimal in the oldest. The reduced influence of L. alpina in the older soils may reflect a feedback between improved nutrient availability and reduced rhizodeposition.     

Comparison of subsurface and surface soil bacterial communities in california grassland as assessed by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphisms of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA genes

The integrated biomass beneath the surface horizon in unsaturated soils is large and potentially important in nutrient and carbon cycling. Compared to surface soils, the ecology of these subsurface soils is weakly understood, particularly in terms of the composition of bacterial communities. We compared soil bacterial communities along two vertical transects by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphisms (TRFLPs) of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA genes to determine how surface and deep bacterial communities differ. DNA yield from soils collected from two Mediterranean grassland transects decreased exponentially from the surface to 4 m deep. Richness, as assessed by the number of peaks obtained after restriction with HhaI, MspI, RsaI, or HaeIII, and diversity, as assessed by the Shannon diversity indices, were lowest in the deepest sample. Lower diversity at depth is consistent with species-energy theory, which would predict relatively low diversity in the low organic matter horizons. Principal components analysis suggested that, in terms of HhaI and HaeIII generated TRFLPs, bacterial communities differed between depths. The most abundant amplicons cloned from the deepest sample contained sequences with restriction sites consistent with the largest peaks observed in TRFLPs generated from deep samples. These more abundant operational taxonomic units (OTUs) appeared related to Pseudomonas and Variovorax. Several OTUs were more related to each other than any previously described ribotypes. These OTUs showed similarity to bacteria from the divisions Actinobacteria and Firmicutes.     

Rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere bacterial community composition of the wild medicinal plant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rumex patientia</Emphasis>

To investigate bacterial communities between rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils of the wild medicinal plant Rumex patientia of Jilin, China, small subunit rRNAs (16S rDNA) from soil metagenome were amplified by polymerase chain reaction using primers specific to the domain bacteria and analysed by cloning and sequencing. The relative proportion of bacterial communities in rhizosphere soils was similar to non-rhizosphere soils in five phylogenetic groups (Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi and Planctomycetes). But there were differences in five other phylogenetic groups (Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Gemmatimonadetes, Verrucomicrobia and Unclassified bacteria). Over 97.24 % of the sequenced clones were found to be unique to rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils, while 2.76 % were shared by both of them. Our results indicate that there are differences in the composition and proportion of bacterial communities between rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils. Furthermore, the unique bacterial clones between rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils of the wild medicinal plant R. patientia have obvious differences.     

Impact of the Maize Rhizosphere on the Genetic Structure, the Diversity and the Atrazine-degrading Gene Composition of Cultivable Atrazine-degrading Communities

Sixty-six atrazine-degrading bacterial communities utilizing atrazine as sole N source and citrate as principal C source were isolated from unplanted and maize planted soils treated with atrazine. Ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (RISA) fingerprints revealed that the genetic structure of atrazine-degrading bacterial communities was modified in the maize rhizosphere. To assess the underlying microbial diversity, 16S rDNA sequences amplified from each bacterial community were cloned. Libraries containing 660 16S rDNA clones were screened by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. In all, 63 clone families were identified. Rarefaction curves did not reach a clear saturation, indicating that the analysis of a greater number of clones would have revealed further diversity. Recovered 16S rDNA sequences were related to Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria. The four dominant RFLP families were highly similar to Variovorax paradoxus, Burkholderia cepacia, Arthrobacter sp. and Bosea sp. The composition of most of the atrazine-degrading bacterial communities consisted of 2–7 different bacterial species. Various atrazine-degrading gene compositions were observed, two of these atzABCDEF, trzND and atzBCDEF, trzN being largely dominant. The first was more frequently detected in bacterial communities isolated from the maize rhizosphere whereas the second was more frequently detected in communities isolated from bulk soil. Monitoring of atrazine-degrading activity showed that 76% of the bacterial communities degraded up to 80% of the initially added atrazine within 15 days of culture. Altogether our results indicate that the maize rhizosphere has an impact on the genetic structure, the diversity and atrazine-degrading gene composition of the atrazine-degrading communities.     

Bacterial community diversity in the rhizosphere of nickel hyperaccumulator plant species from Borneo Island (Malaysia)

The Island of Borneo is a major biodiversity hotspot, and in the Malaysian state of Sabah, ultramafic soils are extensive and home to more than 31 endemic nickel hyperaccumulator plants. The aim of this study was to characterize the structure and the diversity of the rhizosphere bacterial communities of several of these nickel hyperaccumulator plants and factors that affect these bacterial communities in Sabah. The most abundant phyla were Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria and Actinobacteria. At family level, Burkholderiaceae and Xanthobacteraceae (Proteobacteria phylum) were the most abundant families in the hyperaccumulator rhizospheres. Redundancy analysis based on soil chemical analyses and relative abundances of the major bacterial phyla showed that abiotic factors of the studied sites drove the bacterial diversity. For all R. aff. bengalensis rhizosphere soil samples, irrespective of studied site, the bacterial diversity was similar. Moreover, the Saprospiraceae family showed a high representativeness in the R. aff. bengalensis rhizosphere soils and was linked with the nickel availability in soils. The ability of R. aff. bengalensis to concentrate nickel in its rhizosphere appears to be the major factor driving the rhizobacterial community diversity unlike for other hyperaccumulator species.     

Two Invasive Plants Alter Soil Microbial Community Composition in Serpentine Grasslands

Plant invasions pose a serious threat to native ecosystem structure and function. However, little is known about the potential role that rhizosphere soil microbial communities play in facilitating or resisting the spread of invasive species into native plant communities. The objective of this study was to compare the microbial communities of invasive and native plant rhizospheres in serpentine soils. We compared rhizosphere microbial communities, of two invasive species, Centaurea solstitialis (yellow starthistle) and Aegilops triuncialis (barb goatgrass), with those of five native species that may be competitively affected by these invasive species in the field (Lotus wrangelianus, Hemizonia congesta, Holocarpha virgata, Plantago erecta, and Lasthenia californica). Phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA) was used to compare the rhizosphere microbial communities of invasive and native plants. Correspondence analyses (CA) of PLFA data indicated that despite yearly variation, both starthistle and goatgrass appear to change microbial communities in areas they invade, and that invaded and native microbial communities significantly differ. Additionally, rhizosphere microbial communities in newly invaded areas are more similar to the original native soil communities than are microbial communities in areas that have been invaded for several years. Compared to native plant rhizospheres, starthistle and goatgrass rhizospheres have higher levels of PLFA biomarkers for sulfate reducing bacteria, and goatgrass rhizospheres have higher fatty acid diversity and higher levels of biomarkers for sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Changes in soil microbial community composition induced by plant invasion may affect native plant fitness and/or ecosystem function.     

Bacterial Diversity in the Rhizosphere of Cucumbers Grown in Soils Covering a Wide Range of Cucumber Cropping Histories and Environmental Conditions

Rhizosphere microorganisms in soils are important for plant growth. However, the importance of rhizosphere microorganisms is still underestimated since many microorganisms associated with plant roots cannot be cultured and since the microbial diversity in the rhizosphere can be influenced by several factors, such as the cropping history, biogeography, and agricultural practice. Here, we characterized the rhizosphere bacterial diversity of cucumber plants grown in soils covering a wide range of cucumber cropping histories and environmental conditions by using pyrosequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes. We also tested the effects of compost addition and/or bacterial inoculation on the bacterial diversity in the rhizosphere. We identified an average of approximately 8,883 reads per sample, corresponding to around 4,993 molecular operational taxonomic units per sample. The Proteobacteria was the most abundant phylum in almost all soils. The abundances of the phyla Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Acidobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia varied among the samples, and together with Proteobacteria, these phyla were the six most abundant phyla in almost all analyzed samples. Analyzing all the sample libraries together, the predominant genera found were Flavobacterium, Ohtaekwangia, Opitutus, Gp6, Steroidobacter, and Acidovorax. Overall, compost and microbial amendments increased shoot biomass when compared to untreated soils. However, compost addition decreased the bacterial α-diversity in most soils (but for three soils compost increased diversity), and no statistical effect of microbial amendment on the bacterial α-diversity was found. Moreover, soil amendments did not significantly influence the bacterial β-diversity. Soil organic content appeared more important than compost and microbial amendments in shaping the structure of bacterial communities in the rhizosphere of cucumber.     

Comparison of ectomycorrhizas of Quercus garryana (Fagaceae) on serpentine and non-serpentine soils in southwestern Oregon

The diversity of ectomycorrhizal communities associated with Quercus garryana on and off serpentine soils was compared and related to landscape-level diversity. Serpentine soils are high in magnesium, iron, and heavy metals and low in fertility. In plant communities on serpentine soils, a high proportion of flowering plant species are endemic. At three sites with paired serpentine and nonserpentine soils in southwestern Oregon, we sampled Q. garryana roots and categorized ectomycorrhizas by morphotyping and by restriction fragment length patterns. Ectomycorrhizas were abundant at all sites; no single fungal species dominated in the ectomycorrhizas. Of 74 fungal species characterized by morphotype and pattern of restriction fragment length polymorphisms, 46 occurred on serpentine soils, and 32 were unique to serpentine soil. These species are potentially endemic to serpentine soil. Similarities in species composition between paired serpentine and nonserpentine soils were not significantly lower than among three serpentine sites or among three nonserpentine sites. We conclude that mycorrhizal communities associated with oaks on serpentine soil do not differ in species richness or species evenness from those on neighboring nonserpentine soil.