Rapid shifts in thermal reaction norms and tolerance of brooded coral larvae following parental heat acclimation.

Thermal priming of reef corals can enhance their heat tolerance; however, the legacy effects of heat stress during parental brooding on larval resilience remain understudied. This study investigated whether preconditioning adult coral Pocillopora damicornis to high temperatures (29°C and 32°C) could better prepare their larvae for heat stress. Results showed that heat-acclimated adults brooded larvae with reduced symbiont density and shifted thermal performance curves. Reciprocal transplant experiments demonstrated higher bleaching resistance and better photosynthetic and autotrophic performance in heat-exposed larvae from acclimated adults compared to unacclimated adults. RNA-seq revealed strong cellular stress responses in larvae from heat-acclimated adults that could have been effective in rescuing host cells from stress, as evidenced by the widespread upregulation of genes involved in cell cycle and mitosis. For symbionts, a molecular coordination between light harvesting, photoprotection and carbon fixation was detected in larvae from heat-acclimated adults, which may help optimize photosynthetic activity and yield under high temperature. Furthermore, heat acclimation led to opposing regulations of symbiont catabolic and anabolic pathways and favoured nutrient translocation to the host and thus a functional symbiosis. Notwithstanding, the improved heat tolerance was paralleled by reduced light-enhanced dark respiration, indicating metabolic depression for energy saving. Our findings suggest that adult heat acclimation can rapidly shift thermal tolerance of brooded coral larvae and provide integrated physiological and molecular evidence for this adaptive plasticity, which could increase climate resilience. However, the metabolic depression may be maladaptive for long-term organismal performance, highlighting the importance of curbing carbon emissions to better protect corals.

Unveil of the role of fungal taxa in iron(III) reduction in paddy soil.

Hitherto, research on iron(III)-reduction has mainly focused on bacteria rather than fungal communities. To acquire insight into fungi involved in iron(III) reduction, typical organic matters (containing cellulose, glucose, lactate, and acetate) and ferrihydrite were used as electron donors and acceptors, respectively, in the presence of antibiotics. After antibiotic addition, microbial iron(III) reduction was still detected at quite high rates. In comparison, rates of iron(III) reduction were significantly lower in cellulose-amended groups than those with glucose, lactate, and acetate under the antibiotic-added condition. Patterns of intermediate (e.g., acetate, pyruvate, glucose) turnover were markedly different between treatments with and without antibiotics during organic degradation. A total of 20 genera of potential respiratory and fermentative iron(III)-reducing fungi were discovered based on ITS sequencing and genome annotation. This study provided an insight into the diversity of iron(III)-reducing fungi, indicating the underestimated contribution of fungi to iron and the coupled carbon biogeochemical cycling in environments.

Underestimation about the Contribution of Nitrate Reducers to Iron Cycling Indicated by Enterobacter Strain.

Nitrate-reducing iron(II) oxidation (NRFO) has been intensively reported in various bacteria. Iron(II) oxidation is found to be involved in both enzymatic and chemical reactions in nitrate-reducing Fe(II)-oxidizing microorganisms (NRFOMs). However, little is known about the relative contribution of biotic and abiotic reactions to iron(II) oxidation for the common nitrate reducers during the NRFO process. In this study, the typical nitrate reducers, four Enterobacter strains E. hormaechei, E. tabaci, E. mori and E. asburiae, were utilized as the model microorganisms. The comparison of the kinetics of nitrate, iron(II) and nitrite and N2O production in setups with and without iron(II) indicates a mixture of enzymatic and abiotic oxidation of iron(II) in all four Enterobacter strains. It was estimated that 22-29% of total oxidized iron(II) was coupled to microbial nitrate reduction by E. hormaechei, E. tabaci, E. mori, and E. asburiae. Enterobacter strains displayed an metabolic inactivity with heavy iron(III) encrustation on the cell surface in the NRFOmedium during days of incubation. Moreover, both respiratory and periplasmic nitrate-reducing genes are encoded by genomes of Enterobacter strains, suggesting that cell encrustation may occur with periplasmic iron(III) oxide precipitation as well as the surface iron(II) mineral coating for nitrate reducers. Overall, this study clarified the potential role of nitrate reducers in the biochemical cycling of iron under anoxic conditions, in turn, re-shaping their activity during denitrification because of cell encrustation with iron(III) minerals.

Does Plant Identity Affect the Dispersal of Resistomes Above and Below Ground?

Resistomes are ubiquitous in natural environments. Previous studies have shown that both the plant phyllosphere and soil-borne nematodes were reservoirs of above- and below-ground resistomes, respectively. However, the influence of plant identity on soil, nematode, and phyllosphere resistomes remains unclear. Here, a microcosm experiment was used to explore the characteristics of bacterial communities and resistomes in soil, nematode, and phyllosphere associated with six different plant identities (Lactuca sativa, Cichorium endivia, Allium fistulosum, Coriandrum sativum, Raphanus sativus, and Mesembryanthemum crystallinum). A total of 222 antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and 7 mobile genetic elements (MGEs) were detected by high-throughput quantitative PCR from all samples. Plant identity not only significantly affected the diversity of resistomes in soil, nematode, and phyllosphere but also influenced the abundance of resistomes in nematodes. Shared bacteria and resistomes indicated a possible pathway of resistomes transfer through the soil-nematode-phyllosphere system. Structural equation models revealed that plant identity had no direct effect on phyllosphere ARGs, but altered indirectly through complex above- and below-ground interactions (soil-plant-nematode trophic transfer). Results also showed that bacteria and MGEs were key factors driving the above- and below-ground flow of resistomes. The study extends our knowledge about the top-down and bottom-up dispersal patterns of resistomes.

Ocean acidification elicits differential bleaching and gene expression patterns in larval reef coral Pocillopora damicornis under heat stress.

The successful dispersal of coral larvae is vital to the population replenishment and reef recovery and resilience. Despite that this critical early stage is susceptible to ocean warming and acidification, little is known about the responses of coral larvae to warming and acidification across different biological scales. This study explored the influences of elevated temperature (29 °C versus 33 °C) and pCO2 (500 µatm versus 1000 µatm) on brooded larvae of Pocillopora damicornis at the organismal, cellular and gene expression levels. Heat stress caused bleaching, depressed light-enhanced dark respiration, photosynthesis and autotrophy, whereas high pCO2 stimulated photosynthesis. Although survival was unaffected, larvae at 33 °C were ten-times more likely to settle than those at 29 °C, suggesting reduced capacity to disperse and differentiate suitable substrate. Remarkably, heat stress induced greater symbiont loss at ambient pCO2 than at high pCO2, while cell-specific pigment concentrations of symbionts at 33 °C increased twofold under ambient pCO2 relative to high pCO2, suggesting pCO2-dependent bleaching patterns. Considerable increases in activities of host antioxidants superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) at 33 °C indicated oxidative stress, whereas lipid peroxidation and caspase activities were contained, thereby restraining larval mortality at 33 °C. Furthermore, the coral host mounted stronger transcriptional responses than symbionts. High pCO2 stimulated host metabolic pathways, possibly because of the boosted algal productivity. In contrast, host metabolic processes and symbiont photosystem genes were downregulated at 33 °C. Interestingly, the upregulation of extracellular matrix genes and glycosaminoglycan degradation pathway at 33 °C was more evident under ambient pCO2 than high pCO2, suggesting compromised host tissue integrity that could have facilitated symbiont expulsion and bleaching. Our results provide insights into how coral larvae respond to warming and acidification at different levels of biological organization, and demonstrate that ocean acidification can mediate thermal bleaching and gene expression in coral larvae under heat stress.

Mite gut microbiome and resistome exhibited species-specific and dose-dependent effect in response to oxytetracycline exposure.

The importance of the gut microbiome to host health is well recognized, but the effects of environmental pressures on the gut microbiome of soil fauna are poorly understood. Here, Illumina sequencing and high-throughput qPCR were applied to characterize the gut microbiomes and resistomes of two mites, Nenteria moseri and Chiropturopoda sp. AL5866, exposed to different concentrations of oxytetracycline (0, 0.01, 0.1 and 1 µg mg-1). Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria and Firmicutes were the dominant phyla in the gut microbiomes of both studied mite species, but the relative abundance of them was different between mites. After exposure to oxytetracycline, there was no variation in the gut microbiome and resistome of C. sp. AL5866, whereas the gut microbiome and resistome of N. moseri were altered significantly. The relative abundance of Proteobacteria significantly decreased, and those of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes significantly increased at the high-concentration antibiotic treatments. Excepting the 0.01 µg mg-1 treatment, gut microbial diversity increased with ascending concentrations. A significant resistome enrichment of relative abundance in N. moseri gut microbiome at low-dose antibiotic treatment was noted. These results indicated that the gut microbiome in N. moseri was potentially more sensitive to antibiotics than C. sp. AL5866, which was supported by the greater relative abundance of key tetracycline-resistant genes in the gut microbiome of C. sp. AL5866 compared to N. moseri. Mite gut microbiomes were correlated with their associated resistomes, demonstrating the consistent changes between microbiome and resistome. Thus, this study showed that oxytetracycline amendment resulted in a dose-dependent and species-specific effect on the gut microbiomes and resistomes of two mite species. It will contribute to understanding the relationship between the soil mite gut microbiome and resistome under antibiotic exposure, and extend our knowledge regarding the emergence and transfer of resistomes in soil food webs.

Host age increased conjugal plasmid transfer in gut microbiota of the soil invertebrate Caenorhabditis elegans.

Plasmid conjugation contributes greatly to the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in soils. However, the spread potential in the gut of soil fauna remains poorly studied, and little was known about the impact of host age on ARGs dissemination in the gut microbiota of soil animals. Here, the typical nematode-Caenorhabditis elegans was employed as the model soil animal, aiming to investigate transfer of broad-host-range IncP-1ɛ from Escherichia coli MG1655 to gut microbiota within 6 days under varied temperature gradients (15, 20 and 25 °C) using qPCR combined with plate screening. Results showed that conjugation rates increased with incubation time and rising temperature in the gut of C. elegans, sharing a similar trend with abundances of plasmid conjugation relevant genes such as trbBp (mating pair formation) and trfAp (plasmid replication). Incubation time and temperature significantly shaped the gut microbial community of C. elegans. Core microbiota in the gut of C. elegans, including Enterobacteriaceae, Lactobacillaceae and Leuconostocaceae, constituted a large part of transconjugal pool for plasmid IncP-1ɛ. Our results highlight an important sink of gut microbiota for ARGs dissemination and upregulation of ARGs transfer in the gut microbiota with host age, further potentially stimulating evolution of ARGs in terrestrial environments.

Rapid Simultaneous Determination of 43 Pesticide Residues in Schizonepeta tenuifolia by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry.

A simple, fast, and reliable method was established for simultaneous determination of 43 pesticides in Schizonepeta tenuifolia. The samples were prepared using solid-phase extraction (SPE) method. Pesticides were extracted from Schizonepeta tenuifolia using acetonitrile, cleaned with Pesticarb/NH2, and eluted by mixed solvents of acetonitrile and toluene (3 : 1, v/v). Selected pesticides were identified using DB-35MS capillary column and detected by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Samples were quantified by external standard method. Recoveries for the majority of pesticides at spike levels of 0.2, 0.5, and 1 mg kg-1 ranged between 70 and 120% (except for Chlorothalonil, Thiamethoxam, and Dicofol), and the relative standard deviations (RSDs n = 6) were 1.32%-13.91%. Limits of detection (LODs) were 0.0011-0.0135 mg kg-1, whereas limits of quantification (LOQs) were 0.0038-0.0451 mg kg-1. The satisfactory accuracy and precision, in combination with a good separation and few interferences, have demonstrated the strong potential of this technique for its application in Schizonepeta tenuifolia analysis.

Anammox Bacteria Are Potentially Involved in Anaerobic Ammonium Oxidation Coupled to Iron(III) Reduction in the Wastewater Treatment System.

Anaerobic ammonium oxidation coupled to nitrite reduction (termed as Anammox) was demonstrated as an efficient pathway to remove nitrogen from a wastewater treatment system. Recently, anaerobic ammonium oxidation was also identified to be linked to iron(III) reduction (termed Feammox) with dinitrogen, nitrite, or nitrate as end-product, reporting to enhance nitrogen removal from the wastewater treatment system. However, little is known about the role of Anammox bacteria in the Feammox process. Here, slurry from wastewater reactor amended with ferrihydrite was employed to investigate activity of Anammox bacteria in the Feammox process using the 15N isotopic tracing technique combined with 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. A significantly positive relationship between rates of 15N2 production and iron(III) reduction indicated the occurrence of Feammox during incubation. Relative abundances of Anammox bacteria including Brocadia, Kuenenia, Jettenia, and unclassified Brocadiaceae were detected with low relative abundances, whereas Geobacteraceae dominated in the treatment throughout the incubation. 15N2 production rates significantly positively correlated with relative abundances of Geobacter, unclassified Geobacteraceae, and Anammox bacteria, revealing their contribution to nitrogen generation via Feammox. Overall, these findings suggested Anammox bacteria or cooperation between Anammox bacteria and iron(III) reducers serves a potential role in Feammox process.

Earthworm gut: An overlooked niche for anaerobic ammonium oxidation in agricultural soil.

Soil fauna takes an active part in accelerating turnover of nutrients in terrestrial ecosystems. Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) has been widely characterized, however, whether anammox is active in earthworm gut and the effect of earthworm on anammox in soil remain unknown. In this study, the activity, abundance and community of anammox bacteria in earthworm guts and soils from microcosms were determined using a 15N-tracing technique, quantitative PCR, and anammox bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Results showed that anammox rates in guts ranged between 5.81 and 14.19 nmol N g-1 dw gut content h-1, which were significantly (P < 0.01) higher than that in their surrounding soils during 30 day incubation. On the contrary, abundances of hzsB genes encoding subunit B hydrazine synthase in guts were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than those in their surrounding soils. Anammox rates, denitrification N2 production rates and hzsB genes in soils with earthworms were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than those in control soils. Anammox bacterial compositions differed significantly (P < 0.05) between gut and soil, and earthworm altered anammox bacterial communities in soils. Brocadia, Kuenenia and abundant unclassified anammox bacteria were detected in collected soils and gut contents, in which Brocadia was only detected in guts. These results suggested that microbes in earthworm gut increase, but present of earthworm reduces anammox and denitrification associated N loss by altering the anammox bacterial community compositions in soils.

Arsenic transformation mediated by gut microbiota affects the fecundity of Caenorhabditis elegans.

Arsenic biotransformation has been discovered in guts of soil invertebrates. Reproduction of invertebrates is sensitive to arsenic contamination in soils. However, little is known about the impact of gut microbe-mediated arsenic biotransformation on the fecundity of invertebrates. Here, Caenorhabditis elegans was firstly pre-fed with Escherichia coli BL21 possessing the capability of reducing arsenate [As(V)] or BL21M having the ability to reduce As(V) and methylate arsenite [As(III)], then inoculated worms were transferred to inactive E. coli AW3110 (harboring no arsenic transformation gene)-seeded plates treated with As(V) at different concentrations. Quantification of gut microbes showed that both E. coli BL21 and BL21M stably colonized in the guts after worms were cultured on inactive E. coli AW3110-seeded plates for 72 h. The analysis of arsenic species indicated that there was As(III) in C. elegans guts colonized with E. coli BL21, As(III) and dimethylarsinic acid [DMAs(V)] in C. elegans guts with E. coli BL21M exposed to As(V) for 6 h. After treatment of 100 µM As(V), decrease in brood sizes was observed for worms that were colonized with E. coli BL21 or BL21M compared to that with AW3110 in the guts. The levels of vitellogenin (VTG), glutathione S-transferases (GST) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), closely linked to reproduction and antioxidation-linked indicators, were the highest in worms whose guts colonized with E. coli BL21, followed by worms colonized with E. coli BL21M and worms colonized with inactive E. coli AW3110 exposed to As(V). Our results indicated the toxic impact of As(III) and DMAs(V) produced by gut microbes on reproduction of C. elegans. The work provides novel insight into the interplay between arsenic biotransformation mediated by gut microbes and the host fecundity in soils.

Metabolic Inactivity and Re-awakening of a Nitrate Reduction Dependent Iron(II)-Oxidizing Bacterium Bacillus ferrooxidans.

Microorganisms capable of anaerobic nitrate-dependent Fe(II) (ferrous iron) oxidation (ANDFO) contribute significantly to iron and nitrogen cycling in various environments. However, lab efforts in continuous cultivation of ANDFO strains suffer from loss of activity when ferrous iron is used as sole electron donor. Here, we used a novel strain of nitrate-dependent Fe(II)-oxidizing bacterium Bacillus ferroxidians as a model and focused on the physiological activity of cells during ANDFO. It was shown that B. ferrooxidans entered a metabolically inactive state during ANDFO. B. ferrooxidans exhibited nitrate reduction coupled with Fe(II) oxidation, and the activity gradually declined and was hardly detected after 48-h incubation. Propidium monoazide (PMA) assisted 16S rRNA gene real-time PCR suggested that a large number of B. ferrooxidans cells were alive during incubation. However, 2H(D)-isotope based Raman analysis indicated that the cells were metabolically inactive after 120-h of ANDFO. These inactive cells re-awakened in R2A medium and were capable of growth and reproduction, which was consistent with results in Raman analysis. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation and x-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed the formation of Fe minerals in close proximity of cells in the Fe(II)-oxidizing medium after Fe(II) oxidation. Overall, our results demonstrated that continued ANDFO can induce a metabolically inactive state in B. ferrooxidans, which was responsible for the loss of activity during ANDFO. This study provides an insight into the ANDFO process and its contribution to iron and nitrogen cycling in the environments.

RNA Stable Isotope Probing of Potential Feammox Population in Paddy Soil.

Anaerobic ammonium oxidation coupled to iron reduction (Feammox) is a recently discovered pathway contributing to nitrogen loss in various ecosystems such as paddy soils and sediments. However, little is known about the microbes driving Feammox in an agricultural ecosystem. Here, we demonstrated the occurrence of Feammox in paddy soils of Southern China using a 15N isotopic tracing technique, and examined the microbial communities associated with Feammox using RNA based stable isotope probing (RNA-SIP) combined with Illumina sequencing. Feammox was detected in all collected soils with direct N2 production as the dominant Feammox pathway. It was estimated that approximately 6.91% of the applied nitrogen fertilizers were lost through Feammox in the paddy soils. RNA-SIP results showed that the composition of enriched active microbial communities were dependent on soil properties, especially the soil pH and grain size. Geobacter were enriched in most soils across various properties. The abundance of enriched GOUTA19 were significantly higher in soils with low pH than those in soils with medium pH and high pH, and the relative abundance of active Nitrososphaeraceae and Pseudomonas only increased in soils with medium and high pH during 4-day of incubation. These results suggested Feammox is a ubiquitous and important process for N loss. Geobacter, GOUTA19, Nitrososphaeraceae and Pseudomonas were active during the incubation that favored Feammox and the growth of Feammox microbes, suggesting these microbes were potentially associated with Feammox in natural agricultural soils.

Mobile Incubator for Iron(III) Reduction in the Gut of the Soil-Feeding Earthworm Pheretima guillelmi and Interaction with Denitrification.

Diets of soil-feeding earthworms contain abundant nitrate and iron(III) oxides, which are potential electron acceptors for mineralization of organic compounds. The earthworm gut provides an ideal habitat for ingested iron(III)-reducing microorganisms. However, little is known about iron(III) reduction and its interaction with other processes in the guts of earthworms. Here, we determined the dynamics of iron(III) and revealed its interaction with the turnover of organic acids and nitrate in the gut of the earthworm Pheretima guillelmi. Samples from gut contents combined with anoxic incubation were used for chemical analysis and 16S rRNA based Illumina sequencing. Chemical analysis showed that higher ratios of iron(II)/iron(III), nitrite/nitrate, and more abundant organic acids were contained in the in vivo gut of the earthworm P. guillelmi than those in the in situ soil. A higher rate of iron(III) reduction was detected in treatments of microcosmic incubation with gut contents (IG gut) than that with soil (IG soil), and nitrate reduction occurred earlier than iron(III) reduction in both treatments. Potential iron(III) reducers were dominated by fermentative genera Clostridium, Bacillus, and Desulfotomaculum in the treatment of IG gut, while they were dominated by dissimilatory iron(III)-reducing genera Geobacter in the treatment of IG soil. The iron(III)-reducing microbial community shared several genera with denitrifers in the treatment of IG gut, revealing a close link between iron(III) reduction and denitrification in the gut of earthworms. Collectively, our findings demonstrated that iron(III) reduction occurred along the gut and provided novel insights into the great contribution of earthworm gut microbiota on Fe and the associated C and N cycling in soil environments.

Bacillus ferrooxidans sp. nov., an iron(II)-oxidizing bacterium isolated from paddy soil.

An endospore-forming bacterium, designated YT-3T, was isolated from a paddy soil in Yingtan, Jiangxi, China. Cells of strain YT-3T were Gram-positive, rod-shaped, facultative anaerobic, catalase, and oxidase positive. The optimum growth temperature and pH were 30°C (ranged from 15 to 50°C) and 6.5-7.0 (ranged from 3 to 11), respectively. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that strain YT-3T was affiliated to the genus Bacillus and displayed the highest similarity to that of Bacillus drentensis JCM 21707T (98.3%), followed by B. ginsengisoli JCM 17335T (97.8%) and B. fumarioli JCM 21708T (97.0%). The similarity of rpoB gene sequence between strain YT-3T and B. drentensis JCM 21707T, B. ginsengisoli JCM 17335T and B. fumarioli JCM 21708T was 80.4%, 81.5%, and 82.1%, respectively. The genomic DNA G + C content was 44.9 mol%. The predominant respiratory quinone was Menaquinone-7, and meso-diaminopimelic acid was present in the peptidoglycan layer of cell wall. The major fatty acids were C15:0 anteiso (36.2%), C14:0 iso (19.6%), C15:0 iso (17.4%), and C16:0 iso (9.8%). The polar lipid profile consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phospholipids, and ammoniac phospholipids. The DNA-DNA hybridization values between isolate YT-3T and B. drentensis (JCM 21707T), B. ginsengisoli (JCM 17335T), and B. fumarioli (JCM 21708T) were 36.3%, 30.3%, and 25.3%, respectively. On the basis of physiological, genetic and biochemical data, strain YT-3T represented a novel species of the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillus ferrooxidans sp. nov was proposed. The type strain is YT-3T (= KCTC 33875T = CCTCC AB 2017049T).

Propionicimonas ferrireducens sp. nov., isolated from dissimilatory iron(III)-reducing microbial enrichment obtained from paddy soil.

A novel strain, designated Y1A-10 4-9-1T, with Gram-stain-positive and rod-shaped cells, was isolated from paddy soil in Yingtan, Jiangxi, China. Cells were 0.15-0.2 µm wide and 1.5-3.3 µm long. The optimal growth temperature was 30 °C and the optimal pH was 7.0. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the novel strain is closely related to Propionicimonas paludicola JCM 11933T (98.57 %). The genomic DNA G+C content was 63.9 mol%. The predominant menaquinone was MK-9(H4) and meso-diaminopimelic acid was present in the cell-wall peptidoglycan layer. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, one unidentified phospholipid and two unidentified lipids. The dominant cellular fatty acids detected were anteiso-C15 : 0 and iso-C16 : 0. The phylogenetic and phenotypic results supported that strain Y1A-10 4-9-1T is a novel species of the genus Propionicimonas, for which the name Propionicimonas ferrireducens sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is Y1A-10 4-9-1T (=CCTCC AB 2016249T=KCTC 15566T=LMG 29810T).

Identification and characterization of inorganic-phosphate-solubilizing bacteria from agricultural fields with a rapid isolation method.

The ability to solubilize fixed inorganic phosphorus (P) for plant growth is important for increasing crop yield. More P can be released by inoculating soil with inorganic-phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (iPSBs). We used 96-well microplates instead of traditional 200-mm petri dishes to rapidly screen iPSB strains for their solubilizing ability. We simultaneously obtained 76 iPSB isolates from 576 wells containing two agricultural soils. This method conveniently identified positive iPSB strains and effectively prevented fungal cross-contamination. Maximum-likelihood phylogenetic trees of the isolated strains showed that Bacillus megaterium was the most dominant iPSB, and strains Y99, Y95, Y924 and Y1412 were selected as representatives for the analysis of P solubilization. Succinic acid was the main organic acid of B. megaterium for releasing P. It was strongly correlated with the increase in soluble P concentration during 168 h of incubation of these four strains. pH was negatively exponentially correlated with the amount of soluble P in the medium, and the amount of succinic acid was strongly linearly correlated with the amount of P released (P < 0.001), suggesting that organic acid may mobilize microbial P. Our study provides an efficient and effective method for identifying and analyzing the growth of iPSB strains able to solubilize inorganic P and gives a better understanding of the mechanism of P solubilization.

The dramatic enhancement of ferromagnetism and band gap in Fe-doped In2O3 nanodot arrays.

Ordered Fe-doped In2O3 nanodot arrays with diameters between 35 nm and 80 nm are fabricated using pulsed laser deposition with the aid of ultrathin porous anodized aluminumoxide templates. The 5 at.% Fe doped In2O3 nanodot arrays are shown to consist of the cubic bixbyite structure of In2O3. The nanodot arrays are demonstrated to be doped by Fe ions with mixed valences of +2 and +3, ruling out the presence of cluster and secondary phase related to Fe. The nanodot arrays exhibit the ferromagnetism at room temperature, where the magnetic moment increases as the dot size is reduced, rising to a maximum of about 230 emu/cm3 (equivalent to an average moment on the Fe ions of 15.30 µB/Fe). This indicates an effect due to the surface of the nanodot arrays. The optical band width is also increased to 4.55 eV for the smallest dot array, thus indicating that the surface states are responsible for the magnetism and also enhance the band gap due to Burstein-Moss effect. Our results will be benefit for understanding the physical properties of oxide semiconductor nanostructures in the application of nano-spintronics devices.