Impact Of Nutrient Availability Research Articles

Impact of Nutrient Starvation on Biofilm Formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: An Analysis of Growth, Adhesion, and Spatial Distribution.

Objectives: This study investigates the impact of nutrient availability on the growth, adhesion, and biofilm formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 under static conditions. Methods: Bacterial behaviour was evaluated in nutrient-rich Luria-Bertani (LB) broth and nutrient-limited M9 media, specifically lacking carbon (M9-C), nitrogen (M9-N), or phosphorus (M9-P). Bacterial adhesion was analysed microscopically during the transition from reversible to irreversible attachment (up to 120 min) and during biofilm production/maturation stages (up to 72 h). Results: Results demonstrated that LB and M9 media supported bacterial growth, whereas nutrient-starved conditions halted growth, with M9-C and M9-N inducing stationary phases and M9-P leading to cell death. Fractal analysis was employed to characterise the spatial distribution and complexity of bacterial adhesion patterns, revealing that nutrient-limited conditions affected both adhesion density and biofilm architecture, particularly in M9-C. In addition, live/dead staining confirmed a higher proportion of dead cells in M9-P over time (at 48 and 72 h). Conclusions: This study highlights how nutrient starvation influences biofilm formation and bacterial dispersion, offering insights into the survival strategies of P. aeruginosa in resource-limited environments. These findings should contribute to a better understanding of biofilm dynamics, with implications for managing biofilm-related infections and industrial biofouling.

Fertilizer regime and cultivar affect barley growth and rhizobiome composition

To combat climate change and environmental pollution, agriculture must reduce mineral fertilizer use and adopt sustainable, low-input, and organic practices. In such systems, plants depend on the soil microbiome for nutrient acquisition and growth. Thus, enhancing plant-microbiome interactions is vital for maintaining or even increasing production sustainably. Modern plant breeding has led to barley cultivars that yield high under substantial mineral fertilizer application. However, this selective breeding may have diminished traits essential for plant-microbiome interactions, making these cultivars less suitable for sustainable agriculture. In contrast, older cultivars might have preserved traits from their common wild ancestor, enabling them to prosper under low nutrient conditions. This study evaluated four modern elite barley cultivars and three older (pre-1980). Grown under various fertilizer regimes, we assessed their root microbiome using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Our objectives were: i) to determine the impact of nutrient availability on plant nutrient uptake and biomass production, and ii) to understand how the time since domestication (domestication age), individual cultivar, and fertilizer regime influence the root microbiome. We found that without fertilizer, old cultivars had superior biomass production and higher leaf concentrations of nitrogen, potassium, sulfur, iron, zinc, and copper than modern cultivars. This indicates that older barley cultivars may have retained their wild ancestors' capability to synergize with the soil microbiome, enhancing nutrient acquisition in low-input systems. Notably, the diversity of the rhizo-microbiome was not significantly affected by domestication age but varied with individual cultivar and fertilizer treatment.

Iron and vitamin D intake on a diet are able to modify the in vitro immune response to Mycobacterium leprae.

The impact of nutrient availability on the survival of Mycobacterium leprae and the development of leprosy remains largely unknown. Iron is essential for the survival and replication of pathogens, while vitamin D has been involved with pathogen elimination and immunoregulation. We evaluated the influence of dietary iron and vitamin D supplementation and restriction on the inflammatory response of mouse immune cells in vitro. After 30 days of standard or modified diets, peritoneal cells and splenocytes were stimulated with the alive microorganisms and sonicated antigens of M. leprae, respectively. The production of inflammatory cytokines, reactive oxygen species, and cell proliferation were evaluated. In peritoneal cells, vitamin D supplementation and iron restriction reduced the production of IL-6 and TNF in response to M. leprae, while splenocytes presented a reduction in TNF production under the same conditions. Lower levels of IFN-γ and TNF were observed in both iron-supplemented and iron-deficient splenocytes. Besides, iron supplementation also reduced the production of IL-6 and IL-10. No changes in the production of reactive oxygen species or in cell proliferation were observed related to different diets. Taken together, these data point to an interference of the status of these nutrients on the interaction between the host and M. leprae, with the potential to interfere with the progression of leprosy. Our results highlight the impact of nutritional aspects on this neglected disease, which is significantly associated with unfavourable social conditions.

Salinity and resource availability as drivers of Baltic benthic fungal diversity

AbstractMarine biodiversity consists of a complex network of organisms responsible for keeping the ecosystem's balance. Fungi are an understudied group of organisms despite their recognized importance for ecosystem processes and diversity. How fungi respond to environmental change remains poorly understood, especially in marine benthic habitats. The Baltic Sea is a brackish coastal ecosystem with steep environmental gradients in a relatively limited geographical area and is therefore a particularly good system to investigate the impact of different abiotic factors on benthic fungal diversity. This study used environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding to analyze the spatial dynamics of benthic fungal diversity in the Baltic Sea and quantify the environmental drivers that shape these dynamics. Based on 59 stations spreading over 1145 km the results showed that benthic fungal communities were dominated by the phylum Chytridiomycota, and the fungal species Alphamyces chaetifer and Operculomyces laminatus from this phylum were the main drivers of the community structure dissimilarities observed between regions. Water depth and salinity were the main predictors of the benthic fungal community composition. The impact of nutrient availability was also significant, possibly related to the known role of Chytridiomycota species such as A. chaetifer and O. laminatus in nutrient cycling. Our results indicate that the benthic fungal diversity of the Baltic Sea is shaped by salinity gradients and nutrient availability and highlights that the current fungal biodiversity is at risk of species shift or decline with predicted changes in salinity due to climate change and intensified eutrophication.

Advanced strategies for optimization of primary nutrients requirement in rice-A review

The Green Revolution led to India's food independence mostly through the inclusion of supply-driven technologies, such as the introduction of high-yielding cultivars, improved access to water, agrochemicals, and mechanization. The present and future needs target agricultural sustainability without endangering the ecosystem. In this regard, the adoption of precision agriculture is required to meet this expected objective. In developed nations, precision farming has already experienced tremendous growth. However, precision farming methods have taken a while for emerging nations in Asia to comprehend, create, and embrace. Moreover, precision farming is frequently misunderstood as a sophisticated technological intervention intended for extensive agricultural fields. However, it is essentially a science that involves using the "right input" in the "right quantity," at the "right time," and in the "right place," to improve input use efficiency. In the case of primary nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, so-called recommendations for nutrient management based on soil tests have improved food grain output which increased the nutrient use efficiency up to a certain extent. Moreover, the recommendations are made for a given agroclimatic region and crops irrespective of site-specific soil fertility, cultivars, and agronomic management levels resulting in excess or scanty use to crop needs. At this juncture, assessing the nutritional requirements of plants proves to be a superior method, as it takes into account the cumulative impact of nutrient availability from various sources on plant growth at any specific stage, making it a reliable indicator of nutrient accessibility. Rice, the most important food crop, is grown in diverse agroclimatic regions at different management levels. Hence, there is an urgent need to adopt a precision nutrient management strategy to optimize the yield output. The article offers an overview of several precision instruments available for managing nutrients at specific sites and aids in choosing the most appropriate one for each circumstance.

Innovative use of tea bags to investigate the interactive effect of nutrient status and climatic factors on litter decomposition

ABSTRACT Interactive effects of nutrient status and climatic factors on litter decomposition remain unclear, partly due to the difficulty of extracting these effects from multiple decomposition data obtained from geographically diverse locations. Conducting the tea bag method repeatedly across different seasons, using the same fertilization study site and a short 90-day period, can be a useful tool for examining the interactive effects, as this method allows for a high degree of control over site effects by using an identical study site. In this study, we explored the sensitivity of the tea bag method in detecting the impacts of nutrient addition on tea material decomposition, as well as the interactive effects of nutrient addition and climatic factors on decomposition. At a 38-year continuous nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization experimental Sakhalin fir stand, we demonstrated that the mass loss ratio of rooibos tea and decomposition constant k, both of which are indicators of early-stage decomposition, were elevated by fertilization in summer, but not in winter. This was probably because, in summer when decomposition rates are less constrained by climatic conditions, the impact of nutrient availability on decomposition rates was relatively stronger compared to other seasons. Thus, the tea bag method can serve as a suitable tool for examining the effect of nutrient addition on early-stage litter decomposition and their interaction with climatic effects. Meanwhile, we concluded that the effects of nutrient addition on late-stage litter decomposition are undetectable by the tea bag method, because this method does not take into account lignin degradation.

The interplay between nitrogenated allelochemicals, mineral nutrition and metabolic profile in barley roots

AimsThe alkaloid hordenine is one of the major allelochemicals involved in the allelopathic ability of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), whose biosynthesis and accumulation is preferentially located in roots. Hordenine appears to have been unintentionally favored during domestication in modern and cultivated barley cultivars at the expense of another alkaloid, gramine. In this study, we assessed the content of hordenine and its two precursors, N-methyltyramine (NMT) and tyramine, in roots and root exudates of the modern spring barley cv. Solist, and particularly how they are affected due to nutrient deficiencies.MethodsWe monitored the three metabolites during the early phases of barley growth i.e., up to 8 days, applying HPLC time-course and both target and untargeted metabolomic approaches. Barley plants were grown either in full nutrient solutions or in specific nutrient shortage conditions (N, S, P and Fe).ResultsResults confirmed a strong decrease of the allelochemical accumulation (hordenine and the two precursors) in roots and in root exudates during both 24 h and 8 days time-course experiments. Yet, the overall tyramine content was approximately tenfold lower compared to the other two compounds. In addition, plants subjected to nitrogen (-N), sulfur (-S), phosphorus (-P) and iron (-Fe) deprivation showed nutrient-dependent accumulation of hordenine, N-methyltyramine and tyramine, as well as of other secondary metabolites. Indeed, the synthesis of hordenine and N-methyltyramine was trigged under nutrient deficiencies.ConclusionsIn conclusion, this study highlighted the impact of nutrient availability on the growth-dependent accumulation patterns of all the three compounds investigated in modern barley roots.

Metabolic Regulation of CD8+ T Cells: From Mechanism to Therapy.

Significance: Cancer immunotherapy has yielded striking antitumor effects in many cancers, yet the proportion of benefited patients is still limited. As key mediators of tumor suppression, CD8+ T cells are crucial for cancer immunotherapy. It has been widely appreciated that the modulation of CD8+ T cell immunity could be an effective way to further improve the therapeutic benefit of immunotherapy. Recent Advances: Emerging evidence has underlined a close link between metabolism and immune functions, providing a metabolism-immune axis that is increasingly investigated for understanding CD8+ T cell regulation. On the other hand, growing findings have reported that tumors adopt multiple approaches to induce metabolic reprogramming of CD8+ T cells, leading to compromised immunotherapy. Critical Issues: CD8+ T cell metabolism in the tumor microenvironment (TME) is often adapted to diminish antitumor immune responses and thereby evade from immune surveillance. A better understanding of metabolic regulation of CD8+ T cells in the TME is believed to hold promise for opening a new therapeutic window to further improve the benefit of immunotherapy. We herein review the mechanistic understanding of how CD8+ T cell metabolism is reprogrammed in the TME, mainly focusing on the impact of nutrient availability and bioactive molecules secreted by surrounding cells. Future Directions: Future research should pay attention to tumor heterogeneity in the metabolic microenvironment and associated immune responses. It is also important to include the trending opinion of "precision medicine" in cancer immunotherapies to tailor metabolic interventions for individual patients in combination with immunotherapy treatments. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 37, 1234-1253.

Photosynthetic Nutrient and Water Use Efficiency of Cucumis sativus under Contrasting Soil Nutrient and Lignosulfonate Levels.

To reduce the use of commercial conventional inorganic fertilizers, the possibility of using pulp and paper industry wastes in agriculture as an alternative source of nutrients is recently under study and discussion. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of sodium lignosulfonate application to soil on photosynthetic leaf nutrient (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, and Na) and water use efficiency. A pot culture experiment was conducted with cucumber seedlings, using five lignosulfonate concentrations (0, 1, 2.5, 5, and 10 vol. %) in sandy soil under sufficient or low nutrient availability for plants. The impact of nutrient availability on the plants’ physiological traits was stronger than the lignosulfonate impact. Under sufficient nutrient availability, the lignosulfonate application resulted in decreased photosynthetic N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, and Na use efficiency. Cucumber growth and development, and photosynthetic nutrient, water, and light use efficiency were significantly reduced with a nutrient deficiency. The sodium lignosulfonate application was not successful in eliminating the negative effects of nutrient deficit on cucumber seedlings.

Impact of nutrient availability on the trophic strategies of the planktonic protist communities in a disturbed Mediterranean coastal lagoon

The impact of changes in nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability on the trophic strategies of planktonic protists was evaluated in a disturbed Mediterranean lagoon (Biguglia lagoon, France) using short-term bioassays. Natural communities were collected in three periods, i.e., autumn, spring and summer, to address the influence of the different environmental conditions. The responses of autotrophic plankton communities to experimentally induced N and/or P limitations were assessed as changes in chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentrations and in the abundances of potentially mixotrophic protists taxa. We observed blooms (> 105 cells l−1) of nanoflagellates in autumn, and of phycocyanin-rich picocyanobacteria in summer. Communities showed a co-limitation by N and P at the three sampling periods, despite high N:P ratios in autumn and spring. The high abundances of potentially mixotrophic dinoflagellates during these periods suggest the involvement of alternative trophic pathways for their maintenance in the lagoon. After bioassay incubations using different nutrient enrichment treatments, we often observed reduced abundances of mixotrophic protists containing Chl a with a concomitant increased abundance of protists without Chl a. This indicates a loss of chloroplasts and photoautotrophic abilities in protists cells, possibly reflecting a shift towards heterotrophy that could be sustained by phagotrophy.

Biotic and Abiotic Factors Influencing Arsenic Biogeochemistry and Toxicity in Fluvial Ecosystems: A Review.

This review is focused on the biogeochemistry of arsenic in freshwaters and, especially, on the key role that benthic microalgae and prokaryotic communities from biofilms play together in through speciation, distribution, and cycling. These microorganisms incorporate the dominant iAs (inorganic arsenic) form and may transform it to other arsenic forms through metabolic or detoxifying processes. These transformations have a big impact on the environmental behavior of arsenic because different chemical forms exhibit differences in mobility and toxicity. Moreover, exposure to toxicants may alter the physiology and structure of biofilms, leading to changes in ecosystem function and trophic relations. In this review we also explain how microorganisms (i.e., biofilms) can influence the effects of arsenic exposure on other key constituents of aquatic ecosystems such as fish. At the end, we present two real cases of fluvial systems with different origins of arsenic exposure (natural vs. anthropogenic) that have improved our comprehension of arsenic biogeochemistry and toxicity in freshwaters, the Pampean streams (Argentina) and the Anllóns River (Galicia, Spain). We finish with a briefly discussion of what we consider as future research needs on this topic. This work especially contributes to the general understanding of biofilms influencing arsenic biogeochemistry and highlights the strong impact of nutrient availability on arsenic toxicity for freshwater (micro) organisms.

Impact of Nutrient Availability on the Fermentation and Production of Aroma Compounds Under Sequential Inoculation With M. pulcherrima and S. cerevisiae.

Non-Saccharomyces yeasts are currently widely used in winemaking to enhance aroma profile diversity among wines. The use of Metschnikowia pulcherrima in sequential inoculation with S. cerevisiae was compared to the inoculation of a pure culture of S. cerevisiae. Moreover, various concentrations of sugar, nitrogen and lipids were tested in synthetic must to assess their impact on fermentation and its outcomes using a Box-Behnken design. Due to its phenotypic specificities, early inoculation with M. pulcherrima led to important modifications, first altering the fermentation kinetics. This may relate, at least in part, to the depletion of some nitrogen sources by M. pulcherrima during the first part of fermentation. Beyond these negative interactions on fermentation performance, comparisons between pure cultures and sequentially inoculated cultures revealed changes in the distribution of carbon fluxes during fermentation in presence of M. pulcherrima, resulting in a positive impact on the production of central carbon metabolites and aromas. Furthermore, the expression of varietal thiols was strongly increased as a consequence of positive interactions between the two species. The mechanism of this release still needs to be investigated. Significant differences in the final concentrations of fermentative and varietal aromas depending on the initial must composition were obtained under both inoculation strategies. Interestingly, the response to changes in nutrient availability varied according to the inoculation modality. In particular, a greater incidence of lipids on the production of fatty acids and their ethyl esters derivatives was found during sequential fermentation compared with pure culture, to be viewed in combination with the metabolic characteristics of M. pulcherrima regarding the production of volatile compounds from acetyl-CoA. Overall, the importance of managing nutrient availability under M. pulcherrima/S. cerevisiae sequential inoculation in order to derive the maximum benefit from the potentialities of the non-Saccharomyces species while carrying out fermentation to dryness was highlighted.

Impact of Nutrient Availability on Tertiary Wastewater Treatment by Chlorella vulgaris.

Algae can use excessive nutrients from wastewater effluent to generate beneficial products such as biofuels. However, fluctuation of wastewater characteristics could hinder the implementation of tertiary algal treatment. This study aims to identify the impact of nutrient availability on Chlorella vulgaris's ability to remove nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater, and its potential as a biofuel feedstock. Experiments using synthetic wastewater with varying concentrations of nitrate and phosphate showed C. vulgaris continued to remove either nutrient when the other was exhausted. Nitrogen starvation led the algae to accumulate the highest amount of neutral lipid; however, the exhaustion of phosphorus did not produce such impact. Synergistic effect was also observed between C. vulgaris and indigenous microorganisms in nutrient removal from real wastewater effluent. The results showed C. vulgaris can survive in a range of nutrient-limiting conditions, making tertiary algal treatment applicable following various secondary treatment regimes.

Global patterns in phytoplankton biomass and community size structure in relation to macronutrients in the open ocean

AbstractOwing to the dynamic nature of nutrient‐phytoplankton interactions, ambient macronutrient concentrations reveal little about the impact of nutrient availability on phytoplankton biomass and community composition at any given point in time or space. Here, however, we examine a global dataset (n = 262) where phytoplankton community structure and biomass are related to ambient concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), phosphate (P), and silicate. The macroecological patterns emerging from the analysis suggests plausible causal relationships between nutrient availability and global phytoplankton community responses: When DIN and P are below ca. 5 μM and 0.5 μM, respectively, increases in the concentration of either nutrient correlate with increases in both biomass and the contribution of large cells to the total phytoplankton biomass. At higher concentrations, increasing DIN or P concentrations do not correlate with increases in biomass. However, the fraction of large phytoplankton continues to increase with increasing concentrations suggesting DIN and P availability to be important factors in controlling phytoplankton community composition over the entire spectrum of potential macronutrient availability in the open ocean. Ambient silicate concentrations were not strongly associated with phytoplankton community structure or biomass. Nor did the DIN/P ratio correlate with community structure indicating that this ratio is a poor descriptor of phytoplankton limitation at the community scale. No empirical evidence was found for commonly referred threshold values for nutrient limitation (i.e., 2 μM, 0.2 μM, and 2 μM for DIN, P, and silicate, respectively) suggesting that these threshold values may not contain any practical information.

Metabolic Regulation of Innate Lymphoid Cell-Mediated Tissue Protection-Linking the Nutritional State to Barrier Immunity.

Innate lymphoid cells (ILC) are a recently described group of tissue-resident immune cells that play essential roles in maintaining and protecting the tissue barrier against invading pathogens. Extensive research has revealed that ILC-mediated immune responses are controlled by dietary components and metabolites. An additional role of ILC as important direct regulators of host metabolism and glucose tolerance is emerging. This suggests that ILC may act as key dietary sensors integrating nutritional and metabolic stress to facilitate both maintenance of barrier sites and a coordinated immune response protecting these tissues. In this respect, investigations have begun to determine how different ILC responses are metabolically fueled and the impact of nutrient availability on the regulation of ILC function. Here, we discuss the current literature concerning dietary and metabolic control of ILC. In particular, we address whether the dietary and metabolic control of ILC and their simultaneous influence on host metabolism may function as a coordinated program of barrier defense.

The “sweet” side of ER-mitochondria contact sites

ABSTRACTThe regions at which the ER and mitochondria come into close proximity, known as ER-mitochondria contact sites provide essential platforms for the exchange of molecules between the two organelles and the coordination of various fundamental cellular processes. In addition to the well-established role of ER-mitochondria interfaces in calcium and lipid crosstalk, emerging evidence supports that a proper communication between ER and mitochondria is critical for the regulation of mitochondrial morphology and the initiation of autophagy. Within this context, our recent data indicate that glycogen is targeted to ER-mitochondria contacts through the Stbd1 protein, a proposed autophagy receptor for glycogen. Glycogen-bound Stbd1 influences ER-mitochondria tethering and the morphology of the mitochondrial network. We here suggest possible roles of glycogen recruitment to ER-mitochondria contact sites. Stbd1-mediated targeting of glycogen to ER-mitochondria junctions could represent a mechanism through which glycogen is sequestered into autophagosomes for lysosomal degradation, a process described as glycogen autophagy or glycophagy. Additionally, we discuss a possible mechanism which links the observed effects of Stbd1 on mitochondrial morphology with the previously reported impact of nutrient availability on mitochondrial dynamics. In this model we propose that glycogen-bound Stbd1 signals nutrient status to ER-mitochondria junctions resulting in adaptations in the morphology of the mitochondrial network.

An improved model framework linking the extracellular environment to antibody glycosylation

Background Glycoproteins make up the bulk of biologically-derived medicines, and are taking up an ever increasing share of the prescription pharmaceuticals market. As opposed to small molecule drugs, glycoproteins are large complex molecules with heterogeneity arising from a multitude of glycan moieties. Glycans are complex post-translation modifications, which result from a number of enzymatic reactions in the ER and Golgi collectively known as glycosylation and play an important role in pharmacokinetics such as drug safety, efficacy and half-life. It is known that the availability of the nucleotide sugar donors (NSDs), which are the co-substrates to the enzymatic glycosylation reactions of the Golgi, can be affected by a number of process conditions such as culture mode, temperature, dissolved oxygen and nutrient availability, as well as the addition of precursor molecules to the culture medium [1]. Consequently, feeding strategies of nucleotide and nucleotide sugar precursors have been explored to exert control over the glycoform [2,3]. In this work, a mathematical model platform is presented to quantify the impact of nutrient availability and feeding strategies on the glycosylation process with the aim to enable the design of feeding strategies to optimise the product glycoform.

Linking species assemblages to environmental change: Moving beyond the specialist-generalist dichotomy

Environmental changes due to land use developments, climate change and nitrogen deposition have profound influences on species assemblages. Investigating the dynamics in species composition as a function of underlying traits may increase our understanding of ecosystem functioning and provide a basis for effective conservation strategies. Here, I use a broad array of species traits for butterflies to identify four main components of associated traits. These reflect the spatial use of the landscape, abiotic vulnerability, developmental rate and phenology, and food specialisation, respectively. The first three trait components each contribute to determine Red List status, but only the developmental rate and phenology component is related to recent population trends. I argue that the latter component reflects the environmental impact of nutrient availability and microclimate, as affected by nitrogen deposition. This perspective sheds a new light on ongoing changes in community composition. Thus, a multidimensional view of trait associations allows us to move beyond the simplistic specialist–generalist dichotomy, renew our view on species-specific studies and help in setting new priorities for conservation.

Wetland ecosystem changes after three years of phosphorus addition

ABSTRACT We used oligotrophic, P-limited herbaceous wetlands of northern Belize to assess how changes in nutrient availability impact species composition and ecosystem processes. The P, N, and NP enrichment plots were established in replicated marshes of three salinity levels to document potential salinity constraints. Addition of P or combination of N and P resulted in rapid switch from a microphyte (cyanobacterial mats, CBM) to macrophyte (Eleocharis spp., Typha domingensis) domination, while N addition did not have any impact. The switch was caused by significant changes in Eleocharis stem density and height, and consequently, the aboveground biomass, which increased from an average 120 g m−2 in control and +N plots to > 500 g m−2 in +P and +NP plots. Decreased light under the dense canopy of Eleocharis in +P and +NP plots caused significant reduction in CBM growth. Biomass of Eleocharis in +P and +NP plots decreased with increasing salinity, but salinity did not affect biomass production in control an...

Microenvironment driven invasion: a multiscale multimodel investigation.

Cancer is a complex, multiscale process, in which genetic mutations occurring at a subcellular level manifest themselves as functional and morphological changes at the cellular and tissue scale. The importance of interactions between tumour cells and their microenvironment is currently of great interest in experimental as well as computational modelling. Both the immediate microenvironment (e.g. cell-cell signalling or cell-matrix interactions) and the extended microenvironment (e.g. nutrient supply or a host tissue structure) are thought to play crucial roles in both tumour progression and suppression. In this paper we focus on tumour invasion, as defined by the emergence of a fingering morphology, which has previously been shown to be dependent upon harsh microenvironmental conditions. Using three different modelling approaches at two different spatial scales we examine the impact of nutrient availability as a driving force for invasion. Specifically we investigate how cell metabolism (the intrinsic rate of nutrient consumption and cell resistance to starvation) influences the growing tumour. We also discuss how dynamical changes in genetic makeup and morphological characteristics, of the tumour population, are driven by extreme changes in nutrient supply during tumour development. The simulation results indicate that aggressive phenotypes produce tumour fingering in poor nutrient, but not rich, microenvironments. The implication of these results is that an invasive outcome appears to be co-dependent upon the evolutionary dynamics of the tumour population driven by the microenvironment.