Fungal Phyla Research Articles

Fungal Mycobiome of Mature Strawberry Fruits (Fragaria x ananassa Variety 'Monterey') Suggests a Potential Market Site Contamination with Harmful Yeasts.

An amplicon metagenomic approach based on the ITS2 region of fungal rDNA was used to investigate the diversity of fungi associated with mature strawberries collected from a volcanic orchard and open-air market stands. Based on the Kruskal-Wallis test, no statistically significant differences were observed in both non-phylogenetic and phylogenetic alpha diversity indices. According to beta diversity analyses, significant differences in fungal communities were found between groups (orchard vs. market). Taxonomic assignment of amplicon sequence variables (ASVs) revealed 7 phyla and 31 classes. The prevalent fungal phyla were Basidiomycota (29.59-84.58%), Ascomycota (15.33-70.40%), and Fungi-phy-Insertae-sedis (0.45-2.89%). The most predominant classes among the groups were Saccharomycetes in the market group, and Microbotryomycetes and Tremellomycetes in the orchard group. Based on the analysis of microbiome composition (ANCOM), we found that the most differentially fungal genera were Hanseniaspora, Kurtzmaniella, and Phyllozyma. Endophytic yeasts Curvibasidium cygneicollum were prevalent in both groups, while Candida railenensis was detected in fruits originating only from the market. In addition, Rhodotorula graminis (relative abundance varying from 1.7% to 21.18%) and Papiliotrema flavescens (relative abundance varying from 1.58% to 16.55%) were detected in all samples regardless of origin, while Debaryomyces prosopidis was detected in samples from the market only, their relative abundance varying with the sample (from 0.80% to 19.23%). Their role in fruit quality and safety has not been yet documented. Moreover, several clinically related yeasts, such as Meyerozyma guilliermondii and Candida parapsilosis, were detected in samples only from the market. Understanding the variety and makeup of the mycobiome in ripe fruits during the transition from the orchard to the market is crucial for fruit safety after harvest.

Natural Products That Contain Higher Homologated Amino Acids.

This review focuses on discussing natural products (NPs) that contain higher homologated amino acids (homoAAs) in the structure as well as the proposed and characterized biosynthesis of these non-proteinogenic amino acids. Homologation of amino acids includes the insertion of a methylene group into its side chain. It is not a very common modification found in NP biosynthesis as approximately 450 homoAA-containing NPs have been isolated from four bacterial phyla (Cyanobacteria, Actinomycetota, Myxococcota, and Pseudomonadota), two fungal phyla (Ascomycota and Basidiomycota), and one animal phylum (Porifera), except for a few examples. Amino acids that are found to be homologated and incorporated in the NP structures include the following ten amino acids: alanine, arginine, cysteine, isoleucine, glutamic acid, leucine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, and tyrosine, where isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, and tyrosine share the comparable enzymatic pathway. Other amino acids have their individual homologation pathway (arginine, proline, and glutamic acid for bacteria), likely utilize the primary metabolic pathway (alanine and glutamic acid for fungi), or have not been reported (cysteine and serine). Despite its possible high potential in the drug discovery field, the biosynthesis of homologated amino acids has a large room to explore for future combinatorial biosynthesis and metabolic engineering purpose.

The correlation between flavor formation and microbial community dynamics during the fermentation of zha cai.

Zha cai, a pickled vegetable with unique flavors, is produced by fermenting fresh mustard tubers. In this study, the main physicochemical indices and volatile flavor compounds were determined in three fermentation periods. The bacterial and fungal communities in the three fermentation periods of zha cai were also monitored using high-throughput sequencing. Key microbial communities were identified based on significant correlations with flavor substances. Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the main bacterial phyla found within the three fermentation periods. Lactic acid bacteria, namely Lactobacillus, was the predominant bacteria found at the genus level. Ascomycetes and Stenotrophomonas were the major fungal phyla found in the three fermentation periods. Yeast, namely Debaryomyces, was the predominant fungus found at the genus level. A total of 42 bacterial genera were negatively correlated with volatile flavor substances of zha cai, and 37 bacterial genera were positively correlated. Meanwhile, a total of 47 genera of fungi were negatively correlated with the volatile flavor substances of zha cai, while 50 genera were positively correlated. Several microbial genera were significantly correlated with volatile flavor compounds, including Lactobacillus, Halomonas, Rhodococcus, and Debaryomyces. This study identified the microbial classes that positively regulate the flavor of zha cai which could provide valuable help for flavor modulation in zha cai production. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Comparison of Microbial Diversity of Two Typical Volcanic Soils in Wudalianchi, China.

Volcanic lava is an excellent model of primary succession, in which basalt-associated microorganisms drive the cycling of different elements such as nitrogen, carbon, and other nutrients. Microbial communities in volcanic soils are of particular interest for study on the emergence and evolution of life within special and extreme conditions. The initial processes of colonization and subsequent rock weathering by microbial communities are still poorly understood. We analyzed the soil bacterial and fungal communities and diversities associated with lava (LBL) and kipuka (BK) sites in Wudalianchi using 16S and ITS rRNA Illumina Miseq sequencing techniques. The results showed that soil physical and chemical properties (pH, MC, TOC, TN, TP, AP, DOC, and DON) significantly differed between LBL and BK. The Shannon, Ace, and Pd indexes of fungi in the two sites showed a significant difference (p < 0.05). The dominant bacterial phyla forming communities at LBL and BK sites were Acidobacteria, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Basidiomycota, and their differences were driven by Gemmatimonadetes and Verrucomicrobia. The dominant fungal phyla of LBL and BK sites were Ascomycota, Zygomycota, and Rozellomcota, which differed significantly between the two sites. The microbial communities showed extremely significant differences (p < 0.05), with MC, pH, and nitrogen being the main influencing factors according to RDA/CCA and correlation analysis. Microbial functional prediction analysis across the two sites showed that the relative abundance of advantageous functional groups was significantly different (p < 0.05). The combined results drive us to conclude that the volcanic soil differences in the deposits appear to be the main factor shaping the microbial communities in Wudalianchi (WDLC) volcanic ecosystems.

Effects of slow-release nitrogen and urea combined application on soil physicochemical properties and fungal community under total straw returning condition

Under the system of full straw returning, the relationship between soil fungal community diversity and soil physiochemical properties, and the combined application of slow-release nitrogen and urea is unclear. To evaluate its effect and provide an effective strategy for sustainable agricultural production, a 2-year field positioning trial was conducted using maize as the research object. The experiment was designed with two factors: straw treatment(S) and nitrogen fertilizer treatment(N),Six experimental treatments were set up,S1N0,S1N1,S1N2,S1N3,S1N4,S0N2,respectively.Analysis of 54 soil samples revealed 15 fungal phyla and 49 fungal classes. The composition of fungal communities in each treatment was basically the same, but there were significant differences in species abundance. Under total straw returning conditions, the combined application of slow-release nitrogen fertilizer and normal nitrogen fertilizer significantly increased the relative abundance of Ascomycota. During the jointing stage, tasseling stage and maturity stage, S1N4, S1N3 and S1N2 increased by 25.76%, 22.97%, 20.74%; 25.11%, 30.02%, 23.64% and 22.47%, 28.14%, 22.71% respectively compared with S0N2.The relative abundance of Basidiomycota was significantly reduced. Alpha diversity analysis showed that the straw returning mode significantly increased the Shannon index and decreased the Simpson index, which was obvious in the jointing stage and tasseling stage. The principal coordinate analysis analysis results showed that the fungal communities formed different clusters in the horizontal and vertical directions at the three growth stages of corn jointing, tasseling and maturity. At the jointing stage and tasseling stage, the communities of the straw return treatment and the straw removal treatment were separated, and the community distribution of each treatment was not significantly different in the mature stage. Total straw returning combined with slow-release fertilizer significantly (P＜0.05) increased the soil organic carbon, nitrate nitrogen and ammonia nitrogen content in each growth period, and increased the soil total nitrogen and hydrolyzable nitrogen content (P＞0.05).After the straw was returned to the field, the combined application of slow-release nitrogen fertilizer and common urea had a significant impact on soil urease, catalase, and sucrase activities. Among them, the three enzyme activities were the highest in the S1N3 treatment at the jointing stage and maturity stage, and the S1N4 treatment at the tasseling stage had the highest enzyme activity. Fungal community composition is closely related to environmental factors. Soil organic carbon, urease and catalase are positively correlated with Ascomycota and negatively correlated with Basidiomycota.

Deciphering core microbiota in rhizosphere soil and roots of healthy and Rhizoctonia solani-infected potato plants from various locations.

Black scurf caused by Rhizoctonia solani severely affects potato production. Through amplification of V3-V4 and ITS1-5f variable regions of 16S and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rRNA, the study was based on the location (Kunming, Qujing, and Zhaotong), plant components (rhizosphere soil and roots), and sample types (healthy and diseased) to assess the diversity of bacterial and fungal communities. We found plant components significantly influence microbial diversity, with rhizosphere soil being more diverse than roots, and the microbial community in the root is mainly derived from the rhizosphere soil. Moreover, the rhizosphere soil and roots of healthy potato plants exhibit greater microbial diversity compared to those of potato plants infected by Rhizoctonia solani. Bacterial phyla Actinobacteriota and Acidobacteriota were enriched in rhizosphere soil compared to that of roots, whereas Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria showed the opposite trend. Fungal phylum Ascomycota was found in low relative abundance in rhizosphere soil than in roots, whereas Basidiomycota showed the opposite trend. Bacterial genera including Streptomyces, Lysobacter, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Ensifer, Enterobacter, and the Rhizobium group (Allorhizobium, Neorhizobium, Pararhizobium, Rhizobium), along with fungal genera such as Aspergillus, Penicillium, Purpureocillium, and Gibberella moniliformis, have the potential ability of plant growth promotion and disease resistance. However, most fungal species and some bacterial species are pathogenic to potato and could provide a conducive environment for black scurf infection. Interaction within the bacterial network increased in healthy plants, contrasting with the trend in the fungal network. Our findings indicate that R. solani significantly alters potato plant microbial diversity, underscoring the complexity and potential interactions between bacterial and fungal communities for promoting potato plant health and resistance against black scurf.

Enhancing boreal forest resilience: A four-year impact of biochar on soil quality and fungal communities

Boreal forests commonly suffer from nutrient deficiency due to restricted biological activity and decomposition. Biochar has been used as a promising strategy to improve soil quality, yet its impacts on forest soil microbes, particularly in cold environment, remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of biochar, produced at different pyrolysis temperatures (500 °C and 650 °C) and applied at different amounts (0.5 kg·m−2 and 1.0 kg·m−2), on soil property, soil enzyme activity, and fungal community dynamics in a boreal forest over a span of two to four years. Our results showed that, four-year post-application of biochar produced at 650 °C and applied at 1.0 kg·m−2, significantly increased the relative abundance of Mortierellomycota and enhanced fungal species richness, α-diversity and evenness compared to the control (CK) (P < 0.05). Notably, the abundance of Phialocephala fortinii increased with the application of biochar produced at 500 °C and applied at 0.5 kg·m−2, exhibiting a positively correlation with the carbon cycling-related enzyme β-cellobiosidase. Functionally, distinct fungal gene structures were formed between different biochar pyrolysis temperatures, and between application amounts in four-year post-biochar application (P < 0.05). Additionally, correlation analyses revealed the significance of the duration post-biochar application on the soil properties, soil extracellular enzymes, soil fungal dominant phyla, fungal community and gene structures (P < 0.01). The interaction between biochar pyrolysis temperature and application amount significantly influenced fungal α-diversity (P < 0.01). Overall, these findings provide theoretical insights and practical application for biochar as soil amendment in boreal forest ecosystems.

Research Note: Analysis of microbial diversity on the shell surface of eggs collected from geographically distinct farms in China

Micro-organisms on the eggshell surface of affect the quality of the egg. Sometimes, these microbes even pose a serious threat to the health of the egg's consumer. Bacterial 16S rDNA and fungal internal transcribed spacer region were sequenced to analyze the microbial diversity on the shell surface of the eggs collected from 4 distinct regions of China: Guyuan (GY; 1.5 million hens), Langfang (LF; 0.1 million hens), Beihai (BH; 1.2 million hens), and Dongguan (DG; 0.2 million hens). The results showed a higher bacterial and fungal abundance on the eggs collected from the northern and southern China farms, respectively. The dominant bacterial phylum detected across all egg samples was Firmicutes. In addition, the shell surfaces of the DG and LF samples harbored abundant levels of Proteobacteria. The dominant fungal phyla detected across all egg samples were Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. The bacterial compositions on eggshell surfaces differed significantly across all geographic regions, and the fungal composition differed significantly between samples collected from the southern and northern farms (P < 0.05). The abundance and composition of microbial colonies on the eggshell surface varied based on their geographical location (climate and environment) and farming scale (management). Our findings provide an important reference for optimizing the cleaning and disinfection methods for fresh eggs collected from different sources.

Associations between bacterial and fungal communities in the human gut microbiota and their implications for nutritional status and body weight

This study examined the interplay between bacterial and fungal communities in the human gut microbiota, impacting on nutritional status and body weight. Cohorts of 10 participants of healthy weight, 10 overweight, and 10 obese individuals, underwent comprehensive analysis, including dietary, anthropometric, and biochemical evaluations. Microbial composition was studied via gene sequencing of 16S and ITS rDNA regions, revealing bacterial (bacteriota) and fungal (mycobiota) profiles. Bacterial diversity exceeded fungal diversity. Statistically significant differences in bacterial communities were found within healthy-weight, overweight, and obese groups. The Bacillota/Bacteroidota ratio (previously known as the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio) correlated positively with body mass index. The predominant fungal phyla were Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, with the genera Nakaseomyces, Kazachstania, Kluyveromyces, and Hanseniaspora, inversely correlating with weight gain; while Saccharomyces, Debaryomyces, and Pichia correlated positively with body mass index. Overweight and obese individuals who harbored a higher abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila, demonstrated a favorable lipid and glucose profiles in contrast to those with lower abundance. The overweight group had elevated Candida, positively linked to simple carbohydrate consumption. The study underscores the role of microbial taxa in body mass index and metabolic health. An imbalanced gut bacteriota/mycobiota may contribute to obesity/metabolic disorders, highlighting the significance of investigating both communities.

Evaluation of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbial communities on microplastic‐associated biofilms in marine and freshwater environments

AbstractMicroplastics (MPs) are major concern due to their potential harm to ecosystems and most research has focused on their presence and fate, with limited attention to their biodegradation in aquatic ecosystems. Nevertheless, MPs act as hotspots for the colonization by a diverse range of microorganisms that can adhere to plastic surfaces, resulting in the subsequent formation of biofilms—a potential threat especially in terms of pathogenicity. This study employed 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA sequencing metagenomic analyses to investigate microbial communities within biofilms on plastic materials exposed to long‐term marine and freshwater environments. Three Arcobacter species (Arcobacter nitrofigilis, Arcobacter acticola, and Arcobacter suis) emerged as dominant species in M_MP sample, while Flavobacterium tructae was the predominant species within the F_MP sample. The 18S rRNA sequencing revealed the presence of the fungal phylum Ascomycota and the microalgal species Pseudocharaciopsis ovalis in F_MP. Although, the primary species detected on M_MP and F_MP samples include bacteria previously implicated as pathogen, the predominant species identified in this study were unconnected to MP‐associated biofilms or MP degradation. Their presence constitutes a novel discovery, opening promising avenues for the exploration of their potential involvement in the biodegradation of MPs within aquatic environments.

Microbial characterization of raw biomasses of Alaria esculenta, Chlorella vulgaris, Lemna minor

This study aimed to identify the types of microorganisms present in Alaria esculenta, Chlorella vulgaris, and Lemna minor as well as to characterize the microbial communities in their raw biomasses. The different raw biomass samples were assigned to a total of 35 and 32 classes, respectively, representing different bacterial and fungal phyla. The most common bacterial genera in all raw biomasses were Acinetobacter (11.68%) and Sphingobacterium (5.72%). Cyanobacteria was found to be the most abundant phylum (59.66%) in Chlorella vulgaris, followed by Lemna minor (type 2) (42.08%), Lemna minor (type 1) (35.97%), and Alaria esculenta (type 1) (26.07%). The most prevalent fungal genera in all raw biomasses were Mycosphaerella (31.64%), Cladosporium (5.08%) and Alternaria (3.63%), while Ascomycota was the most abundant phylum (89.04%) in Lemna minor (type 2), followed by Alaria esculenta (type 1) (80.0%), Lemna minor (type 1) (78.84%) and Chlorella vulgaris (67.14%). In addition, a taxonomic comparison was carried out to assess the variations in the microbiota across all samples. Chl. vulgaris and L. minor (type 2) exhibit a high prokaryotic and fungal composition according to the analyses in comparison to the others. Seven and six genera (>1%) dominated the bacterial and fungal communities, respectively, in all the samples according to the next generation sequencing (NGS) analysis. The development of effective measures to ensure the quality and safety of these aquaculture plants for consumption, as well as the improvement of their cultivation, processing, and storage will be greatly aided by these findings.

Microbial community composition in the dung of five sympatric European herbivore species.

The dung microbiome is a complex system that is highly influenced by species and diet. This study characterized the dung bacterial and fungal communities of five herbivore species inhabiting the National Park Zuid-Kennemerland, the Netherlands. The five selected herbivore species were rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus L.), cow (Bos taurus L.), horse (Equus ferus caballus L.), fallow deer (Dama dama L.), and European bison (Bison bonasus L.). We explored the effects of distinct digestive physiology (ruminants vs. non-ruminants) and diverse dietary preferences on the microbial community composition of herbivore dung. Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were dominant bacterial phyla in the dung of all five herbivore species, and Ascomycota was the predominant fungal phylum. Verrucomicrobiota and Mucoromycota were more present in horse dung and Proteobacteria were more abundant in rabbit dung than the three ruminant dung types. There were few significant differences in the microbial community structure among the three ruminant dung types. The alpha and beta diversity of dung microbial communities significantly differed between ruminants and non-ruminants, especially in bacterial communities. Based on MetaCyc pathways, we found that the primary functions of bacteria in herbivore dung were focused on biosynthesis, various super pathways, and degradation, with a few differences between ruminant and non-ruminant dung. FUNGuild analysis showed that horse dung had more saprotrophic fungi, while the fungi in fallow deer dung had more symbiotrophic properties, with the fungal functions of bison, cow, and rabbit dung somewhere in between. There was also a correlation between microbial community and nutrient composition of the substrate in herbivore dung. Understanding the dung microbial community composition of these herbivore species can enrich the database of mammalian gut microbiomes for studying the mechanisms of microbial community variation while preparing for exploring a new perspective to study the impact of herbivores on ecosystems through dung deposition.

The Common and Unique Microbiota in Sabah’s Traditional Rice Wine Starter Cultures (SASAD)

Rice wine is an alcoholic beverage produced through the fermentation of cereal grains, mainly rice, with microbial starters consisting of fungi and bacteria. However, the microbes in the rice wine starter cultures have never been documented comprehensively except for a few studies that looked into culturable microbes. Hence, their exact core microbiota contents especially those unculturable microbes remained unknown. Therefore, this research aimed to identify the fungal and bacterial communities in sasad through ribosomal amplicon-based next-generation sequencing and analysis that captured both the culturable and unculturable microbiota. The results showed that two fungal phyla (Mucoromycota and Ascomycota) with five genera (Mucor, Rhizopus, Saccharomycopsis, Wickerhamomyces, and Kodamaea) and two bacterial phyla (Proteobacteria and Firmicutes) with 10 genera (Kosakonia, Weissella, Enterobacter, Lactococcus, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Chromobacterium, Paludibacterium, Enterococcus, and Gluconobacter) were identified as the core microbiota (relative abundance &gt; 1.00%) in the sasad samples. Some of these microbes have been reported in other starter cultures, but some are unique to the sasad (Chromobacterium and Paludibacterium). Hence, this research provides the first comprehensive report on the microbes in sasad and provides important insights into the potential roles of core microbiota. These data may be used to facilitate the development of starter cultures with defined microbial compositions for the consistent production of safe and high-quality rice wines in the future.

Ascomycota and Basidiomycota fungal phyla as indicators of land use efficiency for soil organic carbon accrual with woody plantations

As soil fungi are major players in the carbon accumulation process, the two main fungal degraders in topsoil, Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes, were investigated as indicators of land use effectiveness in increasing soil carbon accumulation and soil function. The study focused on the soil organic carbon content increase in a 20-year short rotation forest cycle with broadleaf woody plantations compared to a nearby arable cropping system. Total fungi, Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, were quantified in terms of DNA copy number, with specific probes using SYBR® Green I dye on the QuantStudio™ 3D digital PCR system (dPCR). Previously, next generation sequencing analysis using a general primer confirmed that Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were the most represented phyla and that fungal community composition significantly differed between treatments. A range of key soil enzyme activities for the C-cycle were also assessed. Total organic carbon content (TOC), microbial biomass in term of dsDNA and enzyme activities significantly increased in woody plantations compared to arable soil. The TOC increase differed significantly also between wood species, Salix and Robina gave the greatest increase (+30 and 20 % respectively), followed by Populus (+12), microbial biomass highly correlated with TOC showing the same trend. Total fungi, Ascomycota and Basidiomycota increased significantly in three woody plantations compared to the arable soil system. Ascomycota in the woody plantations increased two to four times (average 3144 n copies µl−1 of DNA) compared to the arable soil (1419 n copies µl−1); Basidiomycota were almost absent in arable soil (av. 94n copies µl−1) and increased five to six times in woody plantations (av. 490 n copies µl−1). Total fungi and ascomycetes correlated strongly with microbial biomass and TOC, whereas basidiomycetes did not. These findings showed that Ascomycota represent the largest portion of fungi in agricultural soils even after a 20-years short rotation forest cycle and they can be taken as indicators of carbon accumulation processes. Therefore, this study suggests that joining the Ascomycetes quantity in the topsoil to the Ascomycota:Basidiomycota ratio seems a good option when setting regional strategies for improving C accrual in farmland with the short-term afforestation.

Fungal and fungal-like diversity present in ornithogenically influenced maritime Antarctic soils assessed using metabarcoding.

We assessed soil fungal and fungal-like diversity using metabarcoding in ornithogenically influenced soils around nests of the bird species Phalacrocorax atriceps, Macronectes giganteus, Pygoscelis antarcticus, and Pygoscelis adelie on the South Shetland Islands, maritime Antarctic. A total of 1,392,784 fungal DNA reads was obtained and assigned to 186 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs). The dominant fungal phylum was Ascomycota, followed by Basidiomycota, Chytridiomycota, Blastocladiomycota, Rozellomycota, Mortierellomycota, Monoblepharomycota, Aphelidiomycota, Basidiobolomycota, Mucoromycota, and the fungal-like Oomycota (Stramenopila), in rank order. Antarctomyces sp., Blastocladiomycota sp., Pseudogymnoascus pannorum, Microascaceae sp., Mortierella sp., Lobulomycetales sp., Sordariomycetes sp., Fungal sp., Rhizophydiales sp., Pseudeurotiaceae sp., Chytridiomycota sp. 1, Filobasidiella sp., Tausonia pullulans, Betamyces sp., and Leucosporidium sp. were the most abundant assigned taxa. The fungal assemblages present in the different ornithogenically influenced soils displayed different diversity indices. However, in general, we detected high fungal diversity and few taxa shared between the samples. Despite the polyextreme environmental conditions experienced in these Antarctic soils, the metabarcoding approach detected a rich and complex fungal community dominated by saprophytes, but with some pathogenic taxa also present. The community was dominated by psychrophilic and psychrotolerant taxa, some apparently endemic to Antarctica, and those identified only at higher taxonomic levels, which may represent currently undescribed fungi. The mycobiome detected included taxa characterized by different ecological roles, including saprotrophic, human- and animal-associated, phytopathogenic, mutualistic, and cosmopolitan. These fungi may potentially be dispersed by birds or in the air column over great distances, including between different regions within Antarctica and from South America, Africa, and Oceania.

Decoding seasonal changes: soil parameters and microbial communities in tropical dry deciduous forests.

In dry deciduous tropical forests, both seasons (winter and summer) offer habitats that are essential ecologically. How these seasonal changes affect soil properties and microbial communities is not yet fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the influence of seasonal fluctuations on soil characteristics and microbial populations. The soil moisture content dramatically increases in the summer. However, the soil pH only gradually shifts from acidic to slightly neutral. During the summer, electrical conductivity (EC) values range from 0.62 to 1.03 ds m-1, in contrast to their decline in the winter. The levels of soil macronutrients and micronutrients increase during the summer, as does the quantity of soil organic carbon (SOC). A two-way ANOVA analysis reveals limited impacts of seasonal fluctuations and specific geographic locations on the amounts of accessible nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Moreover, dehydrogenase, nitrate reductase, and urease activities rise in the summer, while chitinase, protease, and acid phosphatase activities are more pronounced in the winter. The soil microbes were identified in both seasons through 16S rRNA and ITS (Internal Transcribed Spacer) gene sequencing. Results revealed Proteobacteria and Ascomycota as predominant bacterial and fungal phyla. However, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, and Burkholderia are dominant bacterial genera, and Aspergillus, Alternaria, and Trichoderma are dominant fungal genera in the forest soil samples. Dominant bacterial and fungal genera may play a role in essential ecosystem services such as soil health management and nutrient cycling. In both seasons, clear relationships exist between soil properties, including pH, moisture, iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and microbial diversity. Enzymatic activities and microbial shift relate positively with soil parameters. This study highlights robust soil-microbial interactions that persist mainly in the top layers of tropical dry deciduous forests in the summer and winter seasons. It provides insights into the responses of soil-microbial communities to seasonal changes, advancing our understanding of ecosystem dynamics and biodiversity preservation.

Changes in Microbial Composition During the Succession of Biological Soil Crusts in Alpine Hulun Buir Sandy Land, China

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are considered “desert ecosystem engineers” because they play a vital role in the restoration and stability maintenance of deserts, including those cold sandy land ecosystems at high latitudes, which are especially understudied. Microorganisms participate in the formation and succession of biocrusts, contributing to soil properties’ improvement and the stability of soil aggregates, and thus vegetation development. Accordingly, understanding the composition and successional characteristics of microorganisms is a prerequisite for analyzing the ecological functions of biocrusts and related applications. Here, the Hulun Buir Sandy Land region in northeastern China—lying at the highest latitude of any sandy land in the country—was selected for study. Through a field investigation and next-generation sequencing (Illumina MiSeq PE300 Platform), our goal was to assess the shifts in diversity and community composition of soil bacteria and fungi across different stages during the succession of biocrusts in this region, and to uncover the main factors involved in shaping their soil microbial community. The results revealed that the nutrient enrichment capacity of biocrusts for available nitrogen, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, total content of water-soluble salt, available potassium, soil organic matter, and available phosphorus was progressively enhanced by the succession of cyanobacterial crusts to lichen crusts and then to moss crusts. In tandem, soil bacterial diversity increased as biocrust succession proceeded but fungal diversity decreased. A total of 32 bacterial phyla and 11 fungal phyla were identified, these also known to occur in other desert ecosystems. Among those taxa, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria significantly increased and decreased, respectively, along the cyanobacterial crust–lichen–moss crust successional gradient. However, for Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Acidobacteria their changed relative abundance was significantly hump-shaped, increasing in the shift from cyanobacterial crust to lichen crust, and then decreasing as lichen crust shifted to moss crust. In this process, the improved soil properties effectively enhanced soil bacterial and fungal community composition. Altogether, these findings broaden our understanding about how soil microbial properties can change during the succession of biocrusts in high-latitude, cold sandy land ecosystems.

Investigation of the effects of different substrates on the promotion of the soil microbial consortium, encompassing bacteria and fungi, in the bioremediation of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209).

Decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) is recognized as an emerging and hazardous pollutant in numerous ecosystems. Despite this, only a few studies have concurrently investigated the biodegradation of BDE-209 by a microbial consortium comprising both bacteria and fungi. Consequently, the interactions between bacterial and fungal populations and their mutual effects on BDE-209 degradation remain unclear. Our main objective was to concurrently assess the changes and activity of bacterial and fungal communities during the biodegradation of BDE-209 in a real soil matrix. In the present study, various organic substrates were employed to promote soil biomass for the biodegradation of BDE-209. Soil respiration and molecular analysis were utilized to monitor biological activity and biomass community structure, respectively. The findings revealed that the use of wheat straw in the soil matrix resulted in the highest soil respiration and microbial activity among the treatments. This approach obviously provided suitable habitats for the soil microflora, which led to a significant increase in the biodegradability of BDE-209 (49%). Biomass survival efforts and the metabolic pathway of lignin degradation through co-metabolism contributed to the biodegradation of BDE-209. Microbial community analysis identified Proteobacteria (Alphaproteobacteria-Betaproteobacteria), Firmicutes, Bacteroides (bacterial phyla), as well as Ascomycota and Basidiomycota (fungal phyla) as the key microorganisms in the biological community involved in the biodegradation of BDE-209. This study demonstrated that applying wheat straw can improve both the biological activity and the biodegradation of BDE-209 in the soil of polluted sites.

Microbiome analysis reveals the differences in gut fungal community between Dutch Warmblood and Mongolian horses

Similar to gut bacterial community, gut fungal community are also an important part of the gut microbiota and play crucial roles in host immune regulation and metabolism. However, most studies have focused on the gut bacterial community, and research on the gut fungal community has been limited. Dutch Warmblood (DWH) and Mongolian horses (MGH) are important equine breeds, but little research has been done on their gut fungal community. Here, we assessed differences in gut fungal community between two horse species. Results showed that a total of 2159 OTUs were found in the Dutch Warmblood and Mongolian horses, of which 308 were common. Between-group analyzes of microbial diversity showed no differences in the alpha and beta diversity of gut fungal community between the two horse species. Microbiological taxonomic surveys showed that the dominant fungal phyla (Neocallimastigomycota and Ascomycota) and genera (unclassified_Neocallimastigaceae and Anaeromyces) were the same without being affected by species. Although the types of dominant fungal phyla did not change, the abundances of some fungal genera changed significantly. Results of Metastats analysis showed that there were a total of 206 fungal genera that were significantly different between the two horses, among which 78 genera showed an increase and 127 genera significantly decreased in Dutch Warmblood horses compared with Mongolian horses. In conclusion, this study investigated the composition and structure of the gut fungal community of Dutch Warmblood and Mongolian horses and found significant differences in gut fungal community between both breeds. Notably, this is the first exploration of the differences in the gut fungal community of both breeds, which may help to understand the distribution characteristics of the gut fungal community of different breeds of horses and reveal the differences in the traits of different horses.

Application of compatible lignocellulolytic fungal consortia for quality composting of leaf litter and assessment of the end products

Leaf litter still remains one of the most overlooked organic waste in the present scenario. This study aims to examine the composting efficacy of leaf litter employing different compatible lignocellulolytic fungal consortia. The experiment was carried out in seven treatments (T1-T7) and lasted for 65 days. Based on the results of temperature and pH variations, total organic carbon (TOC), macronutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg), trace elements (Fe, Mn), and plant growth assessment, the final compost (T3) treated with fungal consortia consisting of Pseudoplagiostoma eucalypti (LLF10) and Purpureocillium lilacinum (LLF22) was found to be the best quality compost. Ascomycota (∼100 %), Cercozoa (> 65 %), Ciliophora (>45 %), Mucoromycota (>35 %), and Basidiomycota (∼30 %) were the dominant fungal phyla in the T3. In conclusion, compatible and effective lignocellulolytic fungal consortia can be tremendous candidates for composting of leaf litter and other lignocellulosic wastes for the generation of quality compost.