Interkingdom interaction: the soil isopod Porcellio scaber stimulates the methane-driven bacterial and fungal interaction

Abstract

Porcellio scaber (woodlice) are (sub-)surface-dwelling isopods, widely recognized as “soil bioengineers”, modifying the edaphic properties of their habitat, and affecting carbon and nitrogen mineralization that leads to greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, the impact of soil isopods on methane-cycling processes remains unknown. Using P. scaber as a model macroinvertebrate in a microcosm study, we determined how the isopod influences methane uptake and the associated interaction network in an agricultural soil. Stable isotope probing (SIP) with 13C-methane was combined to a co-occurrence network analysis to directly link activity to the methane-oxidizing community (bacteria and fungus) involved in the trophic interaction. Compared to microcosms without the isopod, P. scaber significantly induced methane uptake, associated to a more complex bacteria-bacteria and bacteria-fungi interaction, and modified the soil nutritional status. Interestingly, 13C was transferred via the methanotrophs into the fungi, concomitant to significantly higher fungal abundance in the P. scaber-impacted soil, indicating that the fungal community utilized methane-derived substrates in the food web along with bacteria. Taken together, results showed the relevance of P. scaber in modulating methanotrophic activity with implications for bacteria-fungus interaction.

Habitat prevails over host sex in influencing mycobiome structure of terrestrial isopod, Armadillidium vulgare

“…The application of a culture-dependent approach unveiled the existence of fungal residents, including Baltomyces and Palaviascia, in the gut of isopods [37,38]. While studies at the mesocosm scale have explored the ecologically positive effects of isopods, including the augmentation of methane uptake, modulation of bacteria-fungi interactions [39], and the suppression of dominant cord-forming basidiomycete fungi to enhance fungal diversity [40], the mycobiome within isopods remains relatively unexplored. In the pioneering research conducted by Heděnec et al on the mycobiome of two isopod species, it was discovered that litter quality signi cantly in uences feeding preferences, consumption rates, and composition of fungal communities in the gut and feces of Oniscus and Glomeris [41].…”