An RNA-Sequencing Study of the Genes and Metabolic Pathways Involved inAspergillus nigerWeathering of Potassium Feldspar

Wang, Weiying; Lian, Bin; Pan, Ling

doi:10.1080/01490451.2014.991812

Cited by 24 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Sterol is involved in the synthesis of fungal ergosterol, which is thought to be related to fungal membrane structure, signaling, and an adverse environment (42). Wang et al (43) investigated the gene expression of A. niger under soluble K deficiency using RNA-seq and found that the biosynthesis of organic acids and KT (Na ϩ /K ϩ -ATPase) were significantly upregulated. It is well known that organic acids play a critical role in the process of mineral weathering (14,15,25,44).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transcriptome Analysis Provides Novel Insights into the Capacity of the Ectomycorrhizal Fungus Amanita pantherina To Weather K-Containing Feldspar and Apatite

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et al. 2019

Appl Environ Microbiol

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Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi, symbiotically associated with woody plants, markedly improve the uptake of mineral nutrients such as potassium (K) and phosphorus (P) by their host trees. Although it is well known that ECM fungi can obtain K and P from soil minerals through biological weathering, the mechanisms regulating this process are still poorly understood at the molecular level. Here, we investigated the transcriptional regulation of the ECM fungus Amanita pantherina in weathering K-containing feldspar and apatite using transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) and validated these results for differentially expressed genes using real-time quantitative PCR. The results showed that A. pantherina was able to improve relevant metabolic processes, such as promoting the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids and steroids in the weathering of K-containing feldspar and apatite. The expression of genes encoding ion transporters was markedly enhanced during exposure to solid K-containing feldspar and apatite, and transcripts of the high-affinity K transporter ApHAK1, belonging to the HAK family, were significantly upregulated. The results also demonstrated that there was no upregulation of organic acid biosynthesis, reflecting the weak weathering capacity of the A. pantherina isolate used in this study, especially its inability to utilize P in apatite. Our findings suggest that under natural conditions in forests, some ECM fungi with low weathering potential of their own may instead enhance the uptake of mineral nutrients using their high-affinity ion transporter systems. IMPORTANCE In this study, we revealed the molecular mechanism and possible strategies of A. pantherina with weak weathering potential in the uptake of insoluble mineral nutrients by using transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) technology and found that ApHAK1, a K transporter gene of this fungus, plays a very important role in the acquisition of K and P. Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi play critical roles in the uptake of woody plant nutrients in forests that are usually characterized by nutrient limitation and in maintaining the stability of forest ecosystems. However, the regulatory mechanisms of ECM fungi in acquiring nutrients from minerals/rocks are poorly understood. This study investigated the transcriptional regulation of A. pantherina weathering K-containing feldspar and apatite and improves the understanding of fungal-plant interactions in promoting plant nutrition enabling increased productivity in sustainable forestry.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transcriptome Analysis Provides Novel Insights into the Capacity of the Ectomycorrhizal Fungus Amanita pantherina To Weather K-Containing Feldspar and Apatite

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et al. 2019

Appl Environ Microbiol

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“…During mineral weathering, the fungus changed its metabolism, produced more metal-binding proteins and reduced membrane metal transporter expression, which can modulate ion absorption and disposal and promote acid production. Wang et al (2015) used high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNAseq) to study the molecular mechanisms of Aspergillus niger involved in weathering of potassium feldspar. The fungus was cultured with soluble K + or K-feldspar, demonstrating differential expression of genes related to synthesis and transportation of organic acids, polysaccharides and proteins, which was closely related to release of K + from the minerals.…”

Section: Experiments By Vanmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reviews and syntheses: Biological weathering and its consequences at different spatial levels – from nanoscale to global scale

et al. 2020

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Abstract. Plant nutrients can be recycled through microbial decomposition of organic matter but replacement of base cations and phosphorus, lost through harvesting of biomass/biofuels or leaching, requires de novo supply of fresh nutrients released through weathering of soil parent material (minerals and rocks). Weathering involves physical and chemical processes that are modified by biological activity of plants, microorganisms and animals. This article reviews recent progress made in understanding biological processes contributing to weathering. A perspective of increasing spatial scale is adopted, examining the consequences of biological activity for weathering from nanoscale interactions, through in vitro and in planta microcosm and mesocosm studies, to field experiments, and finally ecosystem and global level effects. The topics discussed include the physical alteration of minerals and mineral surfaces; the composition, amounts, chemical properties, and effects of plant and microbial secretions; and the role of carbon flow (including stabilisation and sequestration of C in organic and inorganic forms). Although the predominant focus is on the effects of fungi in forest ecosystems, the properties of biofilms, including bacterial interactions, are also discussed. The implications of these biological processes for modelling are discussed, and we attempt to identify some key questions and knowledge gaps, as well as experimental approaches and areas of research in which future studies are likely to yield useful results. A particular focus of this article is to improve the representation of the ways in which biological processes complement physical and chemical processes that mobilise mineral elements, making them available for plant uptake. This is necessary to produce better estimates of weathering that are required for sustainable management of forests in a post-fossil-fuel economy. While there are abundant examples of nanometre- and micrometre-scale physical interactions between microorganisms and different minerals, opinion appears to be divided with respect to the quantitative significance of these observations for overall weathering. Numerous in vitro experiments and microcosm studies involving plants and their associated microorganisms suggest that the allocation of plant-derived carbon, mineral dissolution and plant nutrient status are tightly coupled, but there is still disagreement about the extent to which these processes contribute to field-scale observations. Apart from providing dynamically responsive pathways for the allocation of plant-derived carbon to power dissolution of minerals, mycorrhizal mycelia provide conduits for the long-distance transportation of weathering products back to plants that are also quantitatively significant sinks for released nutrients. These mycelial pathways bridge heterogeneous substrates, reducing the influence of local variation in C:N ratios. The production of polysaccharide matrices by biofilms of interacting bacteria and/or fungi at interfaces with mineral surfaces and roots influences patterns of production of antibiotics and quorum sensing molecules, with concomitant effects on microbial community structure, and the qualitative and quantitative composition of mineral-solubilising compounds and weathering products. Patterns of carbon allocation and nutrient mobilisation from both organic and inorganic substrates have been studied at larger spatial and temporal scales, including both ecosystem and global levels, and there is a generally wider degree of acceptance of the “systemic” effects of microorganisms on patterns of nutrient mobilisation. Theories about the evolutionary development of weathering processes have been advanced but there is still a lack of information connecting processes at different spatial scales. Detailed studies of the liquid chemistry of local weathering sites at the micrometre scale, together with upscaling to soil-scale dissolution rates, are advocated, as well as new approaches involving stable isotopes.

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“…During mineral weathering, the fungus changed its metabolism, produced more metal-binding proteins, and reduced membrane metal transporter expression, which can modulate ion absorption and disposal and promote acid production. Wang et al (2015) used high-throughput RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) to study the molecular mechanisms of Aspergillus niger involved in weathering of potassium feldspar. The fungus was cultured with soluble K + or K-feldspar) demonstrating differential expression of genes 20 related to synthesis and transportation of organic acids, polysaccharides and proteins which was closely related to release of K + from the minerals.…”

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Biological weathering and its consequences at different spatial levels – from nanoscale to global scale

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Mahmood

Rosenstock

et al. 2019

Preprint

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Abstract. Plant nutrients can be recycled through microbial decomposition of organic matter but replacement of base cations and phosphorus, lost through harvesting of biomass/biofuels or leaching, requires de novo supply of fresh nutrients released through weathering of soil parent material (minerals and rocks). Weathering involves physical and chemical processes that are modified by biological activity of plants, microorganisms and animals. This article reviews recent progress made in understanding biological processes contributing to weathering. A perspective of increasing spatial scale is adopted, examining the consequences of biological activity for weathering from nanoscale interactions, through in vitro and in planta microcosm and mesocosm studies, to field experiments and finally, ecosystem and global level effects. The topics discussed include: the physical alteration of minerals and mineral surfaces, the composition, amounts, chemical properties and effects of plant and microbial secretions, and the role of carbon flow (including stabilization/sequestration of C in organic and inorganic forms). Although the predominant focus is on the effects of fungi in forest ecosystems, the properties of biofilms, including bacterial interactions, are discussed. The implications of these biological processes for modelling are discussed and finally, we attempt to identify some key questions and knowledge gaps, as well as experimental approaches and areas of research in which future studies are likely to yield useful results. A particular focus of this article is to improve the representation of the ways in which biological processes complement physical and chemical processes that mobilize mineral elements, making them available for plant uptake. This is necessary to produce better estimates of weathering that are necessary for sustainable management of forests in a post-fossil fuel economy. While there are abundant examples of nm- and &#181;m-scale physical interactions between microorganisms and different minerals, opinion appears to be divided with respect to the quantitative significance of these observations to overall weathering. Numerous in vitro experiments and microcosm studies involving plants and their associated microorganisms suggest that the allocation of plant-derived carbon, mineral dissolution and plant nutrient status are tightly coupled but there is still disagreement about the extent to which these processes contribute to field-scale observations. Apart from providing dynamically responsive pathways for the allocation of plant-derived carbon to power dissolution of minerals, mycorrhizal mycelia provide conduits for the long-distance transportation of weathering products back to plants that are also quantitatively significant sinks for released nutrients. These mycelial pathways bridge heterogeneous substrates, reducing the influence of local variation in C&#8201;:&#8201;N ratios. The production of polysaccharide matrices by biofilms of interacting bacteria and/or fungi at interfaces with mineral surfaces and roots, influences patterns of production of antibiotics and quorum sensing molecules, with concomitant effects on microbial community structure, and the qualitative and quantitative composition of mineral solubilizing compounds and weathering products. Patterns of carbon allocation and nutrient mobilization from both organic and inorganic substrates have been studied at larger spatial and temporal scales, including both ecosystem and global levels and there is a generally wider degree of acceptance of the "systemic" effects of microorganisms on patterns of nutrient mobilization. Theories about the evolutionary development of weathering processes have been advanced but there is still a lack of information connecting processes at different spatial scales and detailed studies of the liquid chemistry of local weathering sites at the &#181;m-scale, together with up-scaling to soil-scale dissolution rates, are advocated, as well as new approaches involving stable isotopes.

show abstract

An RNA-Sequencing Study of the Genes and Metabolic Pathways Involved inAspergillus nigerWeathering of Potassium Feldspar

Cited by 24 publications

References 43 publications

Transcriptome Analysis Provides Novel Insights into the Capacity of the Ectomycorrhizal Fungus Amanita pantherina To Weather K-Containing Feldspar and Apatite

Transcriptome Analysis Provides Novel Insights into the Capacity of the Ectomycorrhizal Fungus Amanita pantherina To Weather K-Containing Feldspar and Apatite

Reviews and syntheses: Biological weathering and its consequences at different spatial levels – from nanoscale to global scale

Biological weathering and its consequences at different spatial levels – from nanoscale to global scale

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