Temporal shifts of fungal communities in the rhizosphere and on tubers in potato fields

Soil fungal communities perform important ecological roles determining, at least in part, agricultural productivity. This study aimed at examining the fungal community dynamics in the potato rhizosphere across different development stages in two consecutive growing seasons (winter and summer). Microbial fingerprinting of rhizosphere soil samples collected at pre-planting, tuber initiation, flowering and at senescence was performed using ARISA in conjunction with Next Generation Sequencing (Illumina MiSeq). The epiphytic fungal communities on tubers at harvest were also investigated. Alpha-diversity was stable over time within and across the two seasons. In contrast, rhizospheric fungal community structure and composition were different between the two seasons and in the different plant growth stages within a given season, indicating the significance of the rhizosphere in shaping microbial communities. The phylum Ascomycota was dominant in the potato fungal rhizosphere, with Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) belonging to the genus Peyronellaea being the most abundant in all samples. Important fungal pathogens of potato, together with potential biological control agents and saprophytic species, were identified as indicator OTUs at different plant growth stages. These findings indicate that potato rhizosphere fungal communities are functionally diverse, which may contribute to soil health.     

马铃薯全生育期内根际微生物组变化规律

[目的]陆生植物根际环境与土壤中的微生物菌群关系密切,其根际微生物群落动态极可能直接影响着植物健康及养分高效利用。虽然根际益生菌已被证实可用于提高作物生产力,但由于缺乏对这些菌群组成动态变化规律的认识了解,它们的开发受到限制。研究马铃薯全生育期根际菌群的动态变化规律,探讨根际菌群变化与马铃薯发育时期的相关性,为针对马铃薯不同生长时期开发专用生物益生菌肥奠定理论基础。[方法]本研究着眼于马铃薯田间全生命周期微生物组动态变化,通过Illumina MiSeq高通量测序技术对不同时间点马铃薯根际细菌16S rRNA基因V3-V4区和真菌ITS区测序并对操作分类单位(OTU)进行聚类,分析样品间微生物群落的多样性特征,并通过机器学习的方法建立模型,将根际菌群与田间马铃薯发育时间相关联。[结果]根际菌群在马铃薯各个发育阶段随时间变化明显,营养生长阶段的微生物群落结构发生了显著变化,随着结薯期的开始逐渐稳定,直到块茎成熟后期根际菌群再次出现较大变化,且在不同施肥处理间呈现较大差异。进一步基于模型挖掘了与马铃薯发育时间相关联的22个特征细菌类群和16个特征真菌类群,其中苗期和结薯末期的特征类群分别为梭菌(Clostridium)和放线菌(Actinobacteria)。[结论]马铃薯的生长发育时期是影响根际微生物群落组成的主要因素,益生菌肥的添加主要影响马铃薯结薯末期的细菌微生物菌群结构。     

Establishment of introduced antagonistic bacteria in the rhizosphere of transgenic potatoes and their effect on the bacterial community

In a field release experiment, rifampicin resistant mutants of two antagonistic plant-associated bacteria were used for seed tuber inoculation of transgenic T4 lysozyme expressing potatoes, transgenic control potatoes and non-transgenic parental potatoes. The T4 lysozyme tolerant Pseudomonas putida QC14-3-8 was originally isolated from the tuber surface (geocaulosphere) of T4 lysozyme producing plants and showed in vitro antibacterial activity to the bacterial pathogen Erwinia carotovora ssp. atroseptica. The T4 lysozyme sensitive Serratia grimesii L16-3-3 was originally isolated from the rhizosphere of parental potatoes and showed in vitro antagonism toward the plant pathogenic fungus Verticillium dahliae. The establishment of the inoculated bacteria in the rhizosphere and geocaulosphere of the different plant lines was monitored over one growing season to assess the effect of T4 lysozyme produced by transgenic potato plants on the survival of both inoculants. Both introduced isolates were able to colonize the rhizo- and geocaulosphere of transgenic plants and non-transgenic parental plants, and established in the rhizosphere at levels of ca. log(10) 5 colony forming units g(-1) fresh weight of root. During flowering of plants, significantly more colony counts of the T4 lysozyme tolerant P. putida were recovered from transgenic T4 lysozyme plants than from the transgenic control and the parental line. At this time, the highest level of T4 lysozyme (% of total soluble protein) was detected. Effects of the inoculants on the indigenous microbial community were monitored by analysis of PCR-amplified fragments of the 16S rRNA genes of the whole bacterial community after separation by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). At any sampling time, the DGGE pattern of rhizosphere and geocaulosphere communities did not show differences between the inoculated and non-inoculated potatoes. Neither of the introduced strains became a dominant member of the bacterial community. This work was the first approach to assess the establishment of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and potential biocontrol agents on transgenic plants.     

Effect of Bacillus mesonae H20-5 Treatment on Rhizospheric Bacterial Community of Tomato Plants under Salinity Stress

Plant growth-promoting bacteria improve plant growth under abiotic stress conditions. However, their effects on microbial succession in the rhizosphere are poorly understood. In this study, the inoculants of Bacillus mesonae strain H20-5 were administered to tomato plants grown in soils with different salinity levels (EC of 2, 4, and 6 dS/m). The bacterial communities in the bulk and rhizosphere soils were examined 14 days after H20-5 treatment using Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. Although the abundance of H20-5 rapidly decreased in the bulk and rhizosphere soils, a shift in the bacterial community was observed following H20-5 treatment. The variation in bacterial communities due to H20-5 treatment was higher in the rhizosphere than in the bulk soils. Additionally, the bacterial species richness and diversity were greater in the H20-5 treated rhizosphere than in the control. The composition and structure of the bacterial communities varied with soil salinity levels, and those in the H20-5 treated rhizosphere soil were clustered. The members of Actinobacteria genera, including Kineosporia, Virgisporangium, Actinoplanes, Gaiella, Blastococcus, and Solirubrobacter, were enriched in the H20-5 treated rhizosphere soils. The microbial co-occurrence network of the bacterial community in the H20-5 treated rhizosphere soils had more modules and keystone taxa compared to the control. These findings revealed that the strain H20-5 induced systemic tolerance in tomato plants and influenced the diversity, composition, structure, and network of bacterial communities. The bacterial community in the H20-5 treated rhizosphere soils also appeared to be relatively stable to soil salinity changes.     

p-Coumaric Acid Influenced Cucumber Rhizosphere Soil Microbial Communities and the Growth of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cucumerinum Owen

Background

Autotoxicity of cucumber root exudates or decaying residues may be the cause of the soil sickness of cucumber. However, how autotoxins affect soil microbial communities is not yet fully understood.

Methodology/Principal Findings

The aims of this study were to study the effects of an artificially applied autotoxin of cucumber, p-coumaric acid, on cucumber seedling growth, rhizosphere soil microbial communities, and Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cucumerinum Owen (a soil-borne pathogen of cucumber) growth. Abundance, structure and composition of rhizosphere bacterial and fungal communities were analyzed with real-time PCR, PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and clone library methods. Soil dehydrogenase activity and microbial biomass C (MBC) were determined to indicate the activity and size of the soil microflora. Results showed that p-coumaric acid (0.1–1.0 µmol/g soil) decreased cucumber leaf area, and increased soil dehydrogenase activity, MBC and rhizosphere bacterial and fungal community abundances. p-Coumaric acid also changed the structure and composition of rhizosphere bacterial and fungal communities, with increases in the relative abundances of bacterial taxa Firmicutes, Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria and fungal taxa Sordariomycete, Zygomycota, and decreases in the relative abundances of bacterial taxa Bacteroidetes, Deltaproteobacteria, Planctomycetes, Verrucomicrobia and fungal taxon Pezizomycete. In addition, p-coumaric acid increased Fusarium oxysporum population densities in soil.

Conclusions/Significance

These results indicate that p-coumaric acid may play a role in the autotoxicity of cucumber via influencing soil microbial communities.     

Rhizosphere microbial community and its response to plant species and soil history

The plant rhizosphere is a dynamic environment in which many parameters may influence the population structure, diversity and activity of the microbial community. Two important factors determining the structure of microbial community present in the vicinity of plant roots are plant species and soil type. In the present study we assessed the structure of microbial communities in response to four plant species (i.e. maize (Zea mays L.), oat (Avena sativa L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and commercial grass mix) planted in soil with different land use history (i.e. arable land under crop rotation, maize monoculture and permanent grassland). Both factors, plant species and land use history, showed clear effects on microbial community and diversity as determined by PCR-DGGE fingerprinting with universal and group-specific bacterial primers. Moreover, we explored the rhizosphere effect of these plant species on the abundance of bacterial antagonists of the potato pathogen Rhizoctonia solani AG3. The data showed that the abundance and taxonomic composition of antagonists differed clearly between the different plants. The highest percentages of antagonists were found in maize and grass rhizosphere. When antagonistic Pseudomonas populations were compared, the highest, abundance and diversity of antagonists were detected in barley and oat rhizospheres, as compared to maize and grass rhizosphere. The results obtained in our study demonstrate clearly that plant species and soil type are two important factors affecting the structure of total bacterial, Pseudomonas and Bacillus community.     

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。     

生姜根系不同生态位细菌群落多样性特征、组成及结构差异

生姜作为常见的调味品和传统中药材,是我国重要的经济作物之一。作为取食部分的生姜块茎与根系直接相连,其产量、品质与根相关细菌群落密切相关。然而,关于生姜根系微环境中细菌群落的特点仍鲜有报道,土壤环境能否衍生出宿主特异性内生菌群落尚不清楚。以生姜根系不同生态位细菌群落为研究对象,采用高通量测序技术,对非根际、根际及根内细菌进行16S rRNA基因测序。结果表明,不同生态位细菌群落多样性存在显著差异,其中非根际及根际细菌群落多样性(Shannon index, Observed species, Faith′s PD)显著高于内生菌群落。同时,各生态位共现网络稳定性和复杂度表现为非根际>根际>根内细菌群落。而在组成上,细菌群落在不同生态位差异显著(R²=0.57,P=0.001)。其中变形菌门(Proteobacteria)是根内的优势门,该门类下假单胞菌属(Pseudomonas)、短波单胞菌属(Brevundimonas)、寡养单胞菌属(Stenotrophomonas)及泛菌属(Pantoea)在根内显著富集。在根际细菌中,拟杆菌门(Bacteroid...     

Effects of genetically modified amylopectin-accumulating potato plants on the abundance of beneficial and pathogenic microorganisms in the rhizosphere

In this study, the potential effects of a genetically modified (GM) amylopectin-accumulating potato line (Solanum tuberosum L.) on plant beneficial bacteria and fungi as well as on phytopathogens in the rhizosphere were investigated in a greenhouse experiment and a field trial. For comparison, the non-transgenic parental cultivar of the GM line and a second non-transgenic cultivar were included in the study. Rhizospheres were sampled during young leaf development (EC30) and at florescence (EC60). The microbial community composition was analysed by real-time PCR to quantify the abundances of Pseudomonas spp., Clavibacter michiganensis, Trichoderma spp. and Phytophthora infestans. Additionally, total bacterial and fungal abundances were measured. None of the examined gene abundance patterns were affected by the genetic modification when wild type and GM line were compared. However, significant differences were observed between the two natural potato cultivars, especially during the early leaf development of the plants. Furthermore, gene abundance patterns were also influenced by the plant developmental stage. Interestingly, the impact of the cultivar and the plant vegetation stage on the microbial community structure was more pronounced in field than in greenhouse. Overall, field-grown plants showed a higher abundance of microorganisms in the rhizosphere than plants grown under greenhouse conditions.     

Illumina-based analysis of the rhizosphere microbial communities associated with healthy and wilted Lanzhou lily (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lilium davidii</Emphasis> var. <Emphasis Type="Italic">unicolor</Emphasis>) plants grown in the field

Lanzhou lily (Liliumdavidii var. unicolor) is the best edible lily as well as a traditional medicinal plant in China. The microbes associated with plant roots play crucial roles in plant growth and health. However, little is known about the differences of rhizosphere microbes between healthy and wilted Lanzhou lily (Lilium davidii var. unicolor) plants. The objective of this study was to compare the rhizosphere microbial community and functional diversity of healthy and wilted plants, and to identify potential biocontrol agents with significant effect. Paired end Illumina Mi-Seq sequencing of 16S rRNA and ITS gene amplicons was employed to study the bacterial and fungal communities in the rhizosphere soil of Lanzhou lily plants. BIOLOG technology was adopted to investigate the microbial functional diversity. Our results indicated that there were major differences in the rhizosphere microbial composition and functional diversity of wilted samples compared with healthy samples. Healthy Lanzhou lily plants exhibited lower rhizosphere-associated bacterial diversity than diseased plants, whereas fungi exhibited the opposite trend. The dominant phyla in both the healthy and wilted samples were Proteobacteria and Ascomycota, i.e., 34.45 and 64.01 %, respectively. The microbial functional diversity was suppressed in wilted soil samples. Besides Fusarium, the higher relative abundances of Rhizoctonia, Verticillium, Penicillium, and Ilyonectria (Neonectria) in the wilted samples suggest they may pathogenetic root rot fungi. The high relative abundances of Bacillus in Firmicutes in healthy samples may have significant roles as biological control agents against soilborne pathogens. This is the first study to find evidence of major differences between the microbial communities in the rhizospheric soil of healthy and wilted Lanzhou lily, which may be linked to the health status of plants.     

Bulk and Rhizosphere Soil Bacterial Communities Studied by Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis: Plant-Dependent Enrichment and Seasonal Shifts Revealed

The bacterial rhizosphere communities of three host plants of the pathogenic fungus Verticillium dahliae, field-grown strawberry (Fragaria ananassa Duch.), oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.), and potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), were analyzed. We aimed to determine the degree to which the rhizosphere effect is plant dependent and whether this effect would be increased by growing the same crops in two consecutive years. Rhizosphere or soil samples were taken five times over the vegetation periods. To allow a cultivation-independent analysis, total community DNA was extracted from the microbial pellet recovered from root or soil samples. 16S rDNA fragments amplified by PCR from soil or rhizosphere bacterium DNA were analyzed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The DGGE fingerprints showed plant-dependent shifts in the relative abundance of bacterial populations in the rhizosphere which became more pronounced in the second year. DGGE patterns of oilseed rape and potato rhizosphere communities were more similar to each other than to the strawberry patterns. In both years seasonal shifts in the abundance and composition of the bacterial rhizosphere populations were observed. Independent of the plant species, the patterns of the first sampling times for both years were characterized by the absence of some of the bands which became dominant at the following sampling times. Bacillus megaterium and Arthrobacter sp. were found as predominant populations in bulk soils. Sequencing of dominant bands excised from the rhizosphere patterns revealed that 6 out of 10 bands resembled gram-positive bacteria. Nocardia populations were identified as strawberry-specific bands.     

Rhizosphere Microbial Community Structure in Relation to Root Location and Plant Iron Nutritional Status

Root exudate composition and quantity vary in relation to plant nutritional status, but the impact of the differences on rhizosphere microbial communities is not known. To examine this question, we performed an experiment with barley (Hordeum vulgare) plants under iron-limiting and iron-sufficient growth conditions. Plants were grown in an iron-limiting soil in root box microcosms. One-half of the plants were treated with foliar iron every day to inhibit phytosiderophore production and to alter root exudate composition. After 30 days, the bacterial communities associated with different root zones, including the primary root tips, nonelongating secondary root tips, sites of lateral root emergence, and older roots distal from the tip, were characterized by using 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) fingerprints generated by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Our results showed that the microbial communities associated with the different root locations produced many common 16S rDNA bands but that the communities could be distinguished by using correspondence analysis. Approximately 40% of the variation between communities could be attributed to plant iron nutritional status. A sequence analysis of clones generated from a single 16S rDNA band obtained at all of the root locations revealed that there were taxonomically different species in the same band, suggesting that the resolving power of DGGE for characterization of community structure at the species level is limited. Our results suggest that the bacterial communities in the rhizosphere are substantially different in different root zones and that a rhizosphere community may be altered by changes in root exudate composition caused by changes in plant iron nutritional status.     

Aluminum tolerance of wheat does not induce changes in dominant bacterial community composition or abundance in an acidic soil

Aims

Aluminum-tolerant wheat plants often produce more root exudates such as malate and phosphate than aluminum-sensitive ones under aluminum (Al) stress, which provides environmental differences for microorganism growth in their rhizosphere soils. This study investigated whether soil bacterial community composition and abundance can be affected by wheat plants with different Al tolerance.

Methods

Two wheat varieties, Atlas 66 (Al-tolerant) and Scout 66 (Al-sensitive), were grown for 60 days in acidic soils amended with or without CaCO₃. Plant growth, soil pH, exchangeable Al content, bacterial community composition and abundance were investigated.

Results

Atlas 66 showed better growth and lower rhizosphere soil pH than Scout 66 irrespective of CaCO₃ amendment or not, while there was no significant difference in the exchangeable Al content of rhizosphere soil between the two wheat lines. The dominant bacterial community composition and abundance in rhizosphere soils did not differ between Atlas 66 and Scout 66, although the bacterial abundance in rhizosphere soil of both wheat lines was significantly higher than that in bulk soil. Sphingobacteriales, Clostridiales, Burkholderiales and Acidobacteriales were the dominant bacteria phylotypes.

Conclusions

The difference in wheat Al tolerance does not induce the changes in the dominant bacterial community composition or abundance in the rhizosphere soils.     

Weeds influence soil bacterial and fungal communities

Background and aims

Vineyards harbour a variety of weeds, which are usually controlled since they compete with grapevines for water and nutrients. However, weed plants may host groups of fungi and bacteria exerting important functions.

Methods

We grew three different common vineyard weeds (Taraxacum officinalis, Trifolium repens and Poa trivialis) in four different soils to investigate the effects of weeds and soil type on bacterial and fungal communities colonising bulk soil, rhizosphere and root compartments. Measurements were made using the cultivation-independent technique Automated Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis (ARISA).

Results

Weeds have a substantial effect on roots but less impact on the rhizosphere and bulk soil, while soil type affects all three compartments, in particular the bulk soil community. The fungal, but not the bacterial, bulk soil community structure was affected by the plants at the late experimental stage. Root communities contained a smaller number of Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) and different bacterial and fungal structures compared with rhizosphere and bulk soil communities.

Conclusions

Weed effect is localised to the rhizosphere and does not extend to bulk soil in the case of bacteria, although the structure of fungal communities in the bulk soil may be influenced by some weed plants.     

Increased Killing of Bacillus subtilis on the Hair Roots of Transgenic T4 Lysozyme-Producing Potatoes

Transgenic potato plants expressing the phage T4 lysozyme gene which are resistant to the plant-pathogenic enterobacterium Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora have been constructed. The agricultural growth of these potatoes might have harmful effects on soil microbiota as a result of T4 lysozyme release into the rhizosphere. To assess the bactericidal effect of roots, we have developed a novel method to associate the cells of Bacillus subtilis with hair roots of plants and to quantify the survival of cells directly on the root surface by appropriate staining and fluorescence microscopy. With this technique, we found that the roots of potato plants (Désirée and transgenic control lines) without T4 lysozyme gene display measurable killing activity on root-adsorbed B. subtilis cells. Killing was largely independent of the plant age and growth of plants in greenhouse or field plots. Roots from potato lines expressing the T4 lysozyme gene always showed significantly (1.5- to 3.5-fold) higher killing. It is concluded that T4 lysozyme is released from the root epidermis cells and is active in the fluid film on the root surface. We discuss why strong negative effects of T4 lysozyme-producing potatoes on soil bacteria in field trials may not be observed. We propose that the novel method presented here to study interactions of bacteria with roots can be applied not only to bacterial killing but also to interactions leading to growth-sustaining effects of plants on bacteria.     

Effects of T4 Lysozyme Release from Transgenic Potato Roots on Bacterial Rhizosphere Communities Are Negligible Relative to Natural Factors

Rhizosphere bacterial communities of two transgenic potato lines which produce T4 lysozyme for protection against bacterial infections were analyzed in comparison to communities of wild-type plants and transgenic controls not harboring the lysozyme gene. Rhizosphere samples were taken from young, flowering, and senescent plants at two field sites in three consecutive years. The communities were characterized in a polyphasic approach. Cultivation-dependent methods included heterotrophic plate counts, determination of species composition and diversity based on fatty acid analysis of isolates, and community level catabolic profiling. Cultivation-independent analyses were based on denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of 16S rRNA gene fragments amplified from rhizosphere DNA using primers specific for Bacteria, Actinomycetales, or α- or β-Proteobacteria. Several bands of the DGGE patterns were further characterized by sequence analysis. All methods revealed that environmental factors related to season, field site, or year but not to the T4 lysozyme expression of the transgenic plants influenced the rhizosphere communities. For one of the T4 lysozyme-producing cultivars, no deviation in the rhizosphere communities compared to the control lines was observed. For the other, differences were detected at some of the samplings between the rhizosphere community structure and those of one or all other cultivars which were not attributable to T4 lysozyme production but most likely to differences observed in the growth characteristics of this cultivar.     

基于高通量测序的福建北部马铃薯晚疫病株根际土壤细菌群落分析

[背景]马铃薯晚疫病是一种由致病疫霉[Phytophthora infestans(Mont.)de Bary]引起的毁灭性病害,当环境条件适宜时,残留在土壤中的病原菌会侵染马铃薯植株导致病害的发生.[目的]明确健康马铃薯植株与发病植株的根际土壤细菌结构与多样性.[方法]采集马铃薯晚疫病发病地的健康植株根际土壤(M2J...     

Decreasing prevalence of rhizosphere IAA producing and seedling root growth promoting bacteria with barley development irrespective of protozoan grazing regime

Barley was grown in soil with either bacteria and a mixed protozoan community (Mixed protozoa) or bacteria and a single vahlkampfiid amoebal species (Single amoeba). We assessed the influence of plant age (day 29, 43 and 57 after sowing) on two aspects of rhizosphere bacterial functioning: (1) the proportion of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) producing bacteria and (2) the effect of mixed rhizosphere bacterial assemblages on barley seedling root growth in an agar based assay. The proportion of IAA producers was significantly lower at day 57 than at day 29 and 43, and mixed bacterial assemblages extracted from rhizospheres of 29 days old plants were significantly less harmful to seedling growth than bacterial assemblages from older plants. Hence both assays indicated that bacterial communities from rhizospheres of older plants were less beneficial for root growth than bacterial communities from younger plants. Genetic fingerprinting of rhizosphere bacterial communities was compared by use of length heterogeneity polymerase chain reaction (LH-PCR). This analysis showed a clear succession from the inoculum bacterial community with a rather low diversity to a community with much higher diversity at day 29. However, diversity did not change after day 29, and no relationship between protozoan treatment nor plant age and genetic fingerprinting was found. Responsible Editor: Petra Marschner     

不同生长季节黑果枸杞的根际细菌群落结构

【目的】黑果枸杞是一种耐盐植物,是我国西北干旱区盐渍土改良的优良植物物种,其根际土壤细菌群落结构在不同生长时期的变化特征尚不清楚。【方法】本研究采用Illumina MiSeq高通量测序研究了黑果枸杞3个生长阶段的根际土壤细菌群落结构的动态变化。【结果】所有样品中共获得317467条序列,对应于7028个细菌/古细菌OTUs。根际土壤细菌群落的α多样性显著高于非根际土壤。衰老期根际细菌的多样性和丰富度明显低于营养生长期和花/果期。变形菌门和酸杆菌门的相对丰度随生长时期的演变而逐渐降低,而蓝细菌门则相反。厚壁菌门的丰度在衰老期明显高于营养生长期和花/果期。优势属的组成也随生长期的演变而改变,营养生长期、花/果期、衰老期的优势属数量分别为17、16、4,且组成也具有差异。相似性分析表明营养生长期和花/果期的根际细菌群落具有很高的相似性,衰老期根际细菌群落组成与生长期和花/果期具有很高差异,然而与非根际土壤的群落结构具有较高的相似性。【结论】根际土壤细菌群落多样性和组成随生长期的改变而表现出明显的动态变异性,表明黑果枸杞生长时期对根际土壤细菌群落结构具有重要的影响。