Seasonal dietary changes relate to gut microbiota composition depending on the host species but do not correlate with gut microbiota diversity in arthropod-eating lizards.

The animal gut microbiota is strongly influenced by environmental factors that shape their temporal dynamics. Although diet is recognized as a major driver of gut microbiota variation, dietary patterns have seldom been linked to gut microbiota dynamics in wild animals. Here, we analysed the gut microbiota variation between dry and rainy seasons across four Sceloporus species (S. aeneus, S. bicanthalis, S. grammicus and S. spinosus) from central Mexico in light of temporal changes in diet composition. The lizard microbiota was dominated by Firmicutes (now Bacillota) and Bacteroidota, and the closely related species S. aeneus and S. bicanthalis shared a great number of core bacterial taxa. We report species-specific seasonal changes in gut microbiota diversity and composition: greater alpha diversity during the dry compared to the rainy season in S. bicanthalis, the opposite pattern in S. aeneus, and no seasonal differences in S. grammicus and S. spinosus. Our findings indicated a positive association between gut bacterial composition and dietary composition for S. bicanthalis and S. grammicus, but bacterial diversity did not increase linearly with dietary richness in any lizard species. In addition, seasonality affected bacterial composition, and microbial community similarity increased between S. aeneus and S. bicanthalis, as well as between S. grammicus and S. spinosus. Together, our results illustrate that seasonal variation and dietary composition play a role in shaping gut microbiota in lizard populations, but this is not a rule and other ecological factors influence microbiota variation.

Spatial and Temporal Shifts of Endophytic Bacteria in Conifer Seedlings of Abies religiosa (Kunth) Schltdl. & Cham.

Endophytes play an important role in plant development, survival, and establishment, but their temporal dynamics in young conifer plants are still largely unknown. In this study, the bacterial community was determined by metabarcoding of the 16S rRNA gene in the rhizoplane, roots, and aerial parts of 1- and 5-month-old seedlings of natural populations of Abies religiosa (Kunth) Schltdl. & Cham. In 1-month-old seedlings, Pseudomonas dominated aerial parts (relative abundance 71.6%) and roots (37.9%). However, the roots exhibited significantly higher bacterial species richness than the aerial parts, with the dissimilarity between these plant sections mostly explained by the loss of bacterial amplification sequence variants. After 5 months, Mucilaginibacter dominated in the rhizoplane (9.0%), Streptomyces in the roots (12.2%), and Pseudomonas in the aerial parts (18.1%). The bacterial richness and community structure differed significantly between the plant sections, and these variations were explained mostly by 1-for-1 substitution. The relative abundance of putative metabolic pathways significantly differed between the plant sections at both 1 and 5 months. All the dominant bacterial genera (e.g., Pseudomonas and Burkholderia-Caballeronia-Paraburkholderia) have been reported to have plant growth-promoting capacities and/or antagonism against pathogens, but what defines their role for plant development has still to be determined. This investigation improves our understanding of the early plant-bacteria interactions essential for natural regeneration of A. religiosa forest.

Application of young maize plant residues alters the microbiome composition and its functioning in a soil under conservation agriculture: a metagenomics study.

To increase our knowledge on how application of organic material alters soil microbial populations and functionality, shotgun metagenomic sequencing was used to determine the microbial communities and their potential functionality in an arable soil amended with young maize plants (Zea mays L.) in a laboratory experiment after 3 days. The relative abundance of bacterial and viral groups was strongly affected by organic material application, whereas that of the archaeal, protist and fungal groups was less affected. Cellulose degraders with copiotrophic lifestyle (e.g., Betaproteobacteria) were enriched in the amended soil, whereas the groups with slow growing oligotrophic and chemolithoautotrophic metabolism within Bacteria and Archaea were greater in the unamended than in the amended soil. The soil viral structure and richness were also affected. Caudovirales was the dominant viral family, with members of Siphoviridae enriched in the amended soil and members of Myoviridae in the unamended soil. More specialized metabolic traits related to both the degradation of complex C compounds and denitrification related genes were enriched in the young maize plant amended soil than in the unamended soil, whereas nitrification related genes were enriched in the latter. Copiotrophic life-style bacterial groups were enriched in the amended soil, whereas oligotrophic life-style bacterial groups in the unamended soil. Many bacterial and viral phylotypes were affected by the application of young maize plants, but the number of soil fungi, archaea and protists affected was smaller. Metabolic functionality was affected by the application of organic material as the relative abundance of genes involved in the denitrification process was higher in the maize plant amended soil than in the unamended soil and those involved in the nitrification process was higher in the unamended soil.

The Bacterial Community Structure and Dynamics of Carbon and Nitrogen when Maize (Zea mays L.) and Its Neutral Detergent Fibre Were Added to Soil from Zimbabwe with Contrasting Management Practices.

Water infiltration, soil carbon content, aggregate stability and yields increased in conservation agriculture practices compared to conventionally ploughed control treatments at the Henderson research station near Mazowe (Zimbabwe). How these changes in soil characteristics affect the bacterial community structure and the bacteria involved in the degradation of applied organic material remains unanswered. Soil was sampled from three agricultural systems at Henderson, i.e. (1) conventional mouldboard ploughing with continuous maize (conventional tillage), (2) direct seeding with a Fitarelli jab planter and continuous maize (direct seeding with continuous maize) and (3) direct seeding with a Fitarelli jab planter with rotation of maize sunn hemp (direct seeding with crop rotation). Soil was amended with young maize plants or their neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and incubated aerobically for 56 days, while C and N mineralization and the bacterial community structure were monitored. Bacillus (Bacillales), Micrococcaceae (Actinomycetales) and phylotypes belonging to the Pseudomonadales were first degraders of the applied maize plants. At day 3, Streptomyces (Actinomycetales), Chitinophagaceae ([Saprospirales]) and Dyella (Xanthomonadales) participated in the degradation of the applied maize and at day 7 Oxalobacteraceae (Burkholderiales). Phylotypes belonging to Halomonas (Oceanospirillales) were the first degraders of NDF and were replaced by Phenylobacterium (Caulobacterales) and phylotypes belonging to Pseudomonadales at day 3. Afterwards, similar bacterial groups were favoured by application of NDF as they were by the application of maize plants, but there were also clear differences. Phylotypes belonging to the Micrococcaceae and Bacillus did not participate in the degradation of NDF or its metabolic products, while phylotypes belonging to the Acidobacteriaceae participated in the degradation of NDF but not in that of maize plants. It was found that agricultural practices had a limited effect on the bacterial community structure, but application of organic material altered it substantially.

Archaeal Communities in a Heterogeneous Hypersaline-Alkaline Soil.

In this study the archaeal communities in extreme saline-alkaline soils of the former lake Texcoco, Mexico, with electrolytic conductivities (EC) ranging from 0.7 to 157.2 dS/m and pH from 8.5 to 10.5 were explored. Archaeal communities in the 0.7 dS/m pH 8.5 soil had the lowest alpha diversity values and were dominated by a limited number of phylotypes belonging to the mesophilic Candidatus Nitrososphaera. Diversity and species richness were higher in the soils with EC between 9.0 and 157.2 dS/m. The majority of OTUs detected in the hypersaline soil were members of the Halobacteriaceae family. Novel phylogenetic branches in the Halobacteriales class were detected in the soil, and more abundantly in soil with the higher pH (10.5), indicating that unknown and uncharacterized Archaea can be found in this soil. Thirteen different genera of the Halobacteriaceae family were identified and were distributed differently between the soils. Halobiforma, Halostagnicola, Haloterrigena, and Natronomonas were found in all soil samples. Methanogenic archaea were found only in soil with pH between 10.0 and 10.3. Retrieved methanogenic archaea belonged to the Methanosarcinales and Methanomicrobiales orders. The comparison of the archaeal community structures considering phylogenetic information (UniFrac distances) clearly clustered the communities by pH.

454 pyrosequencing-based characterization of the bacterial consortia in a well established nitrifying reactor.

This present study aimed to characterize the bacterial community in a well-established nitrifying reactor by high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA amplicons. The laboratory-scale continuous stirred tank reactor has been supplied with ammonium (NH(4)(+)) as sole energy source for over 5 years, while no organic carbon has been added, assembling thus a unique planktonic community with a mean NH(4)(+) removal rate of 86 ± 1.4 mg NH(4)(+)-N/(L d). Results showed a nitrifying community composed of bacteria belonging to Nitrosomonas (relative abundance 11.0%) as the sole ammonia oxidizers (AOB) and Nitrobacter (9.3%) as the sole nitrite oxidizers (NOB). The Alphaproteobacteria (42.3% including Nitrobacter) were the most abundant class within the Proteobacteria (62.8%) followed by the Gammaproteobacteria (9.4%). However, the Betaproteobacteria (excluding AOB) contributed only 0.08%, confirming that Alpha- and Gammaproteobacteria thrived in low-organic-load environments while heterotrophic Betaproteobacteria are not well adapted to these conditions. Bacteroidetes, known to metabolize extracellular polymeric substances produced by nitrifying bacteria and secondary metabolites of the decayed biomass, was the second most abundant phylum (30.8%). It was found that Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter sustained a broad population of heterotrophs in the reactor dominated by Alpha- and Gammaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes, in a 1:4 ratio of total nitrifiers to all heterotrophs.

Bacterial colonization of a fumigated alkaline saline soil.

After chloroform fumigating an arable soil, the relative abundance of phylotypes belonging to only two phyla (Actinobacteria and Firmicutes) and two orders [Actinomycetales and Bacillales (mostly Bacillus)] increased in a subsequent aerobic incubation, while it decreased for a wide range of bacterial groups. It remained to be seen if similar bacterial groups were affected when an extreme alkaline saline soil was fumigated. Soil with electrolytic conductivity between 139 and 157 dS m(-1), and pH 10.0 and 10.3 was fumigated and the bacterial community structure determined after 0, 1, 5 and 10 days by analysis of the 16S rRNA gene, while an unfumigated soil served as control. The relative abundance of the Firmicutes increased in the fumigated soil (52.8%) compared to the unfumigated soil (34.2%), while that of the Bacteroidetes decreased from 16.2% in the unfumigated soil to 8.8% in the fumigated soil. Fumigation increased the relative abundance of the genus Bacillus from 14.7% in the unfumigated soil to 25.7%. It was found that phylotypes belonging to the Firmicutes, mostly of the genus Bacillus, were dominant in colonizing the fumigated alkaline saline as found in the arable soil, while the relative abundance of a wide range of bacterial groups decreased.

Pyrosequencing analysis of the bacterial community in drinking water wells.

Wells used for drinking water often have a large biomass and a high bacterial diversity. Current technologies are not always able to reduce the bacterial population, and the threat of pathogen proliferation in drinking water sources is omnipresent. The environmental conditions that shape the microbial communities in drinking water sources have to be elucidated, so that pathogen proliferation can be foreseen. In this work, the bacterial community in nine water wells of a groundwater aquifer in Northern Mexico were characterized and correlated to environmental characteristics that might control them. Although a large variation was observed between the water samples, temperature and iron concentration were the characteristics that affected the bacterial community structure and composition in groundwater wells. Small increases in the concentration of iron in water modified the bacterial communities and promoted the growth of the iron-oxidizing bacteria Acidovorax. The abundance of the genera Flavobacterium and Duganella was correlated positively with temperature and the Acidobacteria Gp4 and Gp1, and the genus Acidovorax with iron concentrations in the well water. Large percentages of Flavobacterium and Pseudomonas bacteria were found, and this is of special concern as bacteria belonging to both genera are often biofilm developers, where pathogens survival increases.

Land-use change alters the bacterial community structure, but not forest management.

Deforestation has a large impact on soil fertility, especially on steep slopes, but by applying sustainable management practices, local communities in Oaxaca (Mexico) have tried to avoid the most negative effects on the forest ecosystems they manage. In this study, the characteristics and bacterial community structure were investigated from soil sampled in triplicate (n = 3) with different land use, i.e., arable, natural forest, sustainable managed, and reforested soil. The pH was significantly higher in the arable (6.2) than in the forest soils (≤ 5.3), while the organic matter was > 2 times higher in the natural forest (80.4 g/kg) and sustainable managed soil (86.3 g/kg) than in the arable (36.8 g/kg) and cleared and reforested soil (39.3 g/kg). The higher organic matter content in the first two soils was due to leaf litter, absent in the other soils. The species richness (q = 0), the typical (q = 1) and dominant bacteria (q = 2) were not affected significantly by land use. The beta diversity, however, showed a significant effect of land use on species richness (p = 0.0029). Proteobacteria (40.135%) and Actinobacteria (20.15%) were the dominant bacterial phyla, and Halomonas (14.50%) and the Verrucomicrobia DA101 (3.39%) were the dominant genera. The bacterial communities were highly significantly different in soil with different land use considering the taxonomic level of genus and OTUs (p ≤ 0.003). It was found that the sustainable managed forest provided the local community with sellable wood while maintaining the soil organic matter content, i.e., sequestered C and without altering the bacterial community structure.

DNA metabarcoding reveals seasonal changes in diet composition across four arthropod-eating lizard species (Phrynosomatidae: Sceloporus).

Diet composition and its ecological drivers are rarely investigated in coexisting closely related species. We used a molecular approach to characterize the seasonal variation in diet composition in four spiny lizard species inhabiting a mountainous ecosystem. DNA metabarcoding revealed that the lizards Sceloporus aeneus, S. bicanthalis, S. grammicus, and S. spinosus mostly consumed arthropods of the orders Hemiptera, Araneae, Hymenoptera, and Coleoptera. The terrestrial lizards S. aeneus and S. bicanthalis mostly predated ants and spiders, whereas the arboreal-saxicolous S. grammicus and saxicolous S. spinosus largely consumed grasshoppers and leafhoppers. The taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity of the prey was higher during the dry season than the rainy season, likely because reduced prey availability in the dry season forced lizards to diversify their diets to meet their nutritional demands. Dietary and phylogenetic composition varied seasonally depending on the species, but only dietary composition varied with altitude. Seasonal dietary turnover was greater in S. spinosus than in S. bicanthalis, suggesting site-specific seasonal variability in prey availability; no other differences among species were observed. S. bicanthalis, which lives at the highest altitude in our study site, displayed interseasonal variation in diet breadth. Dietary differences were correlated with the species' feeding strategies and elevational distribution, which likely contributed to the coexistence of these lizard species in the studied geographic area and beyond.

Comparative analysis of two nonlethal methods for the study of the gut bacterial communities in wild lizards.

Fecal samples or cloacal swabs are preferred over lethal dissections to study vertebrate gut microbiota for ethical reasons, but it remains unclear which nonlethal methods provide more accurate information about gut microbiota. We compared the bacterial communities of three gastrointestinal tract (GIT) segments, that is, stomach, small intestine (midgut), and rectum (hindgut) with the bacterial communities of the cloaca and feces in the mesquite lizard Sceloporus grammicus. The hindgut had the highest taxonomic and functional alpha diversity, followed by midgut and feces, whereas the stomach and cloaca showed the lowest diversities. The taxonomic assemblages of the GIT segments at the phylum level were strongly correlated with those retrieved from feces and cloacal swabs (rs > 0.84 in all cases). The turnover ratio of Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) between midgut and hindgut and the feces was lower than the ratio between these segments and the cloaca. More than half of the core-ASVs in the midgut (24 of 32) and hindgut (58 of 97) were also found in feces, while less than 5 were found in the cloaca. At the ASVs level, however, the structure of the bacterial communities of the midgut and hindgut were similar to those detected in feces and cloaca. Our findings suggest that fecal samples and cloacal swabs of spiny lizards provide a good approximation of the taxonomic assemblages and beta diversity of midgut and hindgut microbiota, while feces better represent the bacterial communities of the intestinal segments at a single nucleotide variation level than cloacal swabs.

Maternal transmission of bacterial microbiota during embryonic development in a viviparous lizard.

IMPORTANCE: We investigated the presence and diversity of bacteria in the embryos of the viviparous lizard Sceloporus grammicus and their amniotic environment. We compared this diversity to that found in the maternal intestine, mouth, and cloaca. We detected bacterial DNA in the embryos, albeit with a lower bacterial species diversity than found in maternal tissues. Most of the bacterial species detected in the embryos were also found in the mother, although not all of them. Interestingly, we detected a high similarity in the composition of bacterial species among embryos from different mothers. These findings suggest that there may be a mechanism controlling the transmission of bacteria from the mother to the embryo. Our results highlight the possibility that the interaction between maternal bacteria and the embryo may affect the development of the lizards.

Microbial biofilms on the sandstone monuments of the Angkor Wat Complex, Cambodia.

Discoloring biofilms from Cambodian temples Angkor Wat, Preah Khan, and the Bayon and West Prasat in Angkor Thom contained a microbial community dominated by coccoid cyanobacteria. Molecular analysis identified Chroococcidiopsis as major colonizer, but low similarity values (<95%) suggested a similar genus or species not present in the databases. In only two of the six sites sampled were filamentous cyanobacteria, Microcoleus, Leptolyngbya, and Scytonema, found; the first two detected by sequencing of 16S rRNA gene library clones from samples of a moist green biofilm on internal walls in Preah Khan, where Lyngbya (possibly synonymous with Microcoleus) was seen by direct microscopy as major colonizer. Scytonema was detected also by microscopy on an internal wall in the Bayon. This suggests that filamentous cyanobacteria are more prevalent in internal (high moisture) areas. Heterotrophic bacteria were found in all samples. DNA sequencing of bands from DGGE gels identified Proteobacteria (Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Methylobacterium radiotolerans) and Firmicutes (Bacillus sp., Bacillus niacini, Bacillus sporothermodurans, Lysinibacillus fusiformis, Paenibacillus sp., Paenibacillus panacisoli, and Paenibacillus zanthoxyli). Some of these bacteria produce organic acids, potentially degrading stone. Actinobacteria, mainly streptomycetes, were present in most samples; algae and fungi were rare. A dark-pigmented filamentous fungus was detected in internal and external Preah Khan samples, while the alga Trentepohlia was found only in samples taken from external, pink-stained stone at Preah Khan. Results show that these microbial biofilms are mature communities whose major constituents are resistant to dehydration and high levels of irradiation and can be involved in deterioration of sandstone. Such analyses are important prerequisites to the application of control strategies.

Nitrogen Fertilizer Application Alters the Root Endophyte Bacterial Microbiome in Maize Plants, but Not in the Stem or Rhizosphere Soil.

Plant-associated microorganisms that affect plant development, their composition, and their functionality are determined by the host, soil conditions, and agricultural practices. How agricultural practices affect the rhizosphere microbiome has been well studied, but less is known about how they might affect plant endophytes. In this study, the metagenomic DNA from the rhizosphere and endophyte communities of root and stem of maize plants was extracted and sequenced with the "diversity arrays technology sequencing," while the bacterial community and functionality (organized by subsystems from general to specific functions) were investigated in crops cultivated with or without tillage and with or without N fertilizer application. Tillage had a small significant effect on the bacterial community in the rhizosphere, but N fertilizer had a highly significant effect on the roots, but not on the rhizosphere or stem. The relative abundance of many bacterial species was significantly different in the roots and stem of fertilized maize plants, but not in the unfertilized ones. The abundance of N cycle genes was affected by N fertilization application, most accentuated in the roots. How these changes in bacterial composition and N genes composition might affect plant development or crop yields has still to be unraveled. IMPORTANCE We investigated the bacterial community structure in the rhizosphere, root, and stem of maize plants cultivated under different agricultural techniques, i.e., with or without N fertilization, and with or without tillage. We found that the bacterial community was defined mostly by the plant compartment and less by agricultural techniques. In the roots, N fertilizer application affected the bacterial community structure, the microbiome functionality, and the abundance of genes involved in the N cycle, but the effect in the rhizosphere and stem was much smaller. Contrary, tillage did not affect the maize microbiome. This study enriches our knowledge about the plant-microbiome system and how N fertilization application affected it.

Is Habitat More Important than Phylogenetic Relatedness for Elucidating the Gut Bacterial Composition in Sister Lizard Species?

The gut microbiota influences the phenotype and fitness of a host; however, limited information is currently available on the diversity and functions of the gut microbiota in wild animals. Therefore, we herein examined the diversity, composition, and potential functions of the gut microbiota in three Sceloporus lizards: Sceloporus aeneus, S. bicanthalis, and S. grammicus, inhabiting different habitats in a mountainous ecosystem. The gut bacterial community of S. bicanthalis from alpine grasslands at 4,150| |m a.s.l. exhibited greater taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional alpha diversities than its sister species S. aeneus from cornfields and human-induced grasslands at 2,600| |m| |a.s.l. Bacteria of the genus Blautia and metabolic functions related to the degradation of aromatic compounds were more abundant in S. bicanthalis than in S. aeneus, whereas Oscillibacter and predicted functions related to amino acid metabolism and fermentation were more abundant in S. aeneus. The structure of the dominant and most prevalent bacteria, i.e., the core microbiota, was similar between the sister species from different habitats, but differed between S. grammicus and S. aeneus cohabiting at 2,600| |m| |a.s.l. and between S. grammicus and S. bicanthalis cohabiting at 4,150| |m a.s.l. These results suggest that phylogenetic relatedness defines the core microbiota, while the transient, i.e., non-core, microbiota is influenced by environmental differences in the habitats. Our comparisons between phylogenetically close species provide further evidence for the specialized and complex associations between hosts and the gut microbiota as well as insights into the roles of phylogeny and ecological factors as drivers of the gut microbiota in wild vertebrates.

Application of ammonium to a N limited arable soil enriches a succession of bacteria typically found in the rhizosphere.

Crop residue management and tillage are known to affect the soil bacterial community, but when and which bacterial groups are enriched by application of ammonium in soil under different agricultural practices from a semi-arid ecosystem is still poorly understood. Soil was sampled from a long-term agronomic experiment with conventional tilled beds and crop residue retention (CT treatment), permanent beds with crop residue burned (PBB treatment) or retained (PBC) left unfertilized or fertilized with 300 kg urea-N ha-1 and cultivated with wheat (Triticum durum L.)/maize (Zea mays L.) rotation. Soil samples, fertilized or unfertilized, were amended or not (control) with a solution of (NH4)2SO4 (300 kg N ha-1) and were incubated aerobically at 25 ± 2 °C for 56 days, while CO2 emission, mineral N and the bacterial community were monitored. Application of NH4+ significantly increased the C mineralization independent of tillage-residue management or N fertilizer. Oxidation of NH4+ and NO2- was faster in the fertilized soil than in the unfertilized soil. The relative abundance of Nitrosovibrio, the sole ammonium oxidizer detected, was higher in the fertilized than in the unfertilized soil; and similarly, that of Nitrospira, the sole nitrite oxidizer. Application of NH4+ enriched Pseudomonas, Flavisolibacter, Enterobacter and Pseudoxanthomonas in the first week and Rheinheimera, Acinetobacter and Achromobacter between day 7 and 28. The application of ammonium to a soil cultivated with wheat and maize enriched a sequence of bacterial genera characterized as rhizospheric and/or endophytic independent of the application of urea, retention or burning of the crop residue, or tillage.

Bacterial Communities in the Rhizosphere at Different Growth Stages of Maize Cultivated in Soil Under Conventional and Conservation Agricultural Practices.

Farmers in Mexico till soil intensively, remove crop residues for fodder and grow maize often in monoculture. Conservation agriculture (CA), including minimal tillage, crop residue retention and crop diversification, is proposed as a more sustainable alternative. In this study, we determined the effect of agricultural practices and the developing maize rhizosphere on soil bacterial communities. Bulk and maize (Zea mays L.) rhizosphere soil under conventional practices (CP) and CA were sampled during the vegetative, flowering and grain filling stage, and 16S rRNA metabarcoding was used to assess bacterial diversity and community structure. The functional diversity was inferred from the bacterial taxa using PICRUSt. Conservation agriculture positively affected taxonomic and functional diversity compared to CP. The agricultural practice was the most important factor in defining the structure of bacterial communities, even more so than rhizosphere and plant growth stage. The rhizosphere enriched fast growing copiotrophic bacteria, such as Rhizobiales, Sphingomonadales, Xanthomonadales, and Burkholderiales, while in the bulk soil of CP other copiotrophs were enriched, e.g., Halomonas and Bacillus. The bacterial community in the maize bulk soil resembled each other more than in the rhizosphere of CA and CP. The bacterial community structure, and taxonomic and functional diversity in the maize rhizosphere changed with maize development and the differences between the bulk soil and the rhizosphere were more accentuated when the plant aged. Although agricultural practices did not alter the effect of the rhizosphere on the soil bacterial communities in the flowering and grain filling stage, they did in the vegetative stage. IMPORTANCE We studied the effect of sustainable conservation agricultural practices versus intensive conventional ones on the soil microbial diversity, potential functionality, and community assembly in rhizosphere of maize cultivated in a semiarid environment. We found that conservation agriculture practices increased the diversity of soil microbial species and functions and strongly affected how they were structured compared to conventional practices. Microbes affected by the roots of maize, the rhizobiome, were different and more diverse than in the surrounding soil and their diversity increased when the plant grew. The agricultural practices affected the maize rhizobiome only in the early stages of growth, but this might have an important impact on the development of maize plant.

The root endophytic bacterial community of Ricinus communis L. resembles the seeds community more than the rhizosphere bacteria independent of soil water content.

Rhizosphere and root endophytic bacteria are crucial for plant development, but the question remains if their composition is similar and how environmental conditions, such as water content, affect their resemblance. Ricinus communis L., a highly drought resistant plant, was used to study how varying soil water content affected the bacterial community in uncultivated, non-rhizosphere and rhizosphere soil, and in its roots. Additionally, the bacterial community structure was determined in the seeds of R. communis at the onset of the experiment. Plants were cultivated in soil at three different watering regimes, i.e. 50% water holding capacity (WHC) or adjusted to 50% WHC every two weeks or every month. Reducing the soil water content strongly reduced plant and root dry biomass and plant development, but had little effect on the bacterial community structure. The bacterial community structure was affected significantly by cultivation of R. communis and showed large variations over time. After 6 months, the root endophytic bacterial community resembled that in the seeds more than in the rhizosphere. It was found that water content had only a limited effect on the bacterial community structure and the different bacterial groups, but R. communis affected the bacterial community profoundly.

Impact of a bacterial consortium on the soil bacterial community structure and maize (Zea mays L.) cultivation.

Microorganisms are often applied as biofertilizer to crops to stimulate plant growth, increase yields and reduce inorganic N application. The survival and proliferation of these allochthonous microorganisms in soil is a necessary requisite for them to promote plant growth. We applied a sterilized or unsterilized not commercialized bacterial consortium mixed with cow manure leachate used by a farmer as biofertilizer to maize (Zea mays L.) in a greenhouse experiment, while maize development and the bacterial community structure was determined just before the biofertilizer was applied a first time (day 44), after three applications (day 89) and after six application at the end of the experiment (day 130). Application of sterilized or unsterilized biofertilizer with pH 4.3 and 864 mg NH4+-N kg-1 had no significant effect on maize growth. The application of the biofertilizer dominated by Lactobacillus (relative abundance 11.90%) or the sterilized biofertilizer changed the relative abundance of a limited number of bacterial groups, i.e. Delftia, Halomonas, Lactobacillus and Stenotrophomonas, without altering significantly the bacterial community structure. Cultivation of maize, however, affected significantly the bacterial community structure, which showed large significant variations over time in the cultivated and uncultivated soil. It was concluded that the bacteria applied as a biofertilizer had only a limited effect on the relative abundance of these groups in uncultivated or soil cultivated with maize.

Bacterial Communities in Alkaline Saline Soils Amended with Young Maize Plants or Its (Hemi)Cellulose Fraction.

We studied three soils of the former lake Texcoco with different electrolytic conductivity (1.9 dS m-1, 17.3 dS m-1, and 33.4 dS m-1) and pH (9.3, 10.4, and 10.3) amended with young maize plants and their neutral detergent fibre (NDF) fraction and aerobically incubated in the laboratory for 14 days while the soil bacterial community structure was monitored by means of 454-pyrosequencing of their 16S rRNA marker gene. We identified specific bacterial groups that showed adaptability to soil salinity, i.e., Prauseria in soil amended with young maize plants and Marinobacter in soil amended with NDF. An increase in soil salinity (17.3 dS m-1, 33.4 dS m-1) showed more bacterial genera enriched than soil with low salinity (1.9 dS m-1). Functional prediction showed that members of Alfa-, Gamma-, and Deltaproteobacteria, which are known to adapt to extreme conditions, such as salinity and low nutrient soil content, were involved in the lignocellulose degradation, e.g., Marinimicrobium and Pseudomonas as cellulose degraders, and Halomonas and Methylobacterium as lignin degraders. This research showed that the taxonomic annotation and their functional prediction both highlighted keystone bacterial groups with the ability to degrade complex C-compounds, such as lignin and (hemi)cellulose, in the extreme saline-alkaline soil of the former Lake of Texcoco.