Effects of heavy metals in soil on microbial diversity and activity as shown by the sensitivity-resistance index, an ecologically relevant parameter

Doelman, P.; Jansen, Esther J. S.; Michels, Michiel H.A.; Til, M. van

doi:10.1007/bf00336319

Cited by 197 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Elevated concentrations of mobile metals can select for community assemblages that are better able to deal with metal toxicity and are better suited to survive in these environments (45,46). This is often expressed as an increase in the diversity and/or abundance of metal-resistant populations (47)(48)(49) and may not be easily masked by differences/changes in land use, as observed in soils from New Zealand, Europe, and North America evolving from unweathered rock since the extensive Upper Pleistocene glaciations (i.e., geologically young soils; for examples, see references 26 and 50-52).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geogenic Factors as Drivers of Microbial Community Diversity in Soils Overlying Polymetallic Deposits

Reith

Zammit

Pohrib

et al. 2015

Appl Environ Microbiol

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dThis study shows that the geogenic factors landform, lithology, and underlying mineral deposits (expressed by elevated metal concentrations in overlying soils) are key drivers of microbial community diversity in naturally metal-rich Australian soils with different land uses, i.e., agriculture versus natural bushland. One hundred sixty-eight soil samples were obtained from two metal-rich provinces in Australia, i.e., the Fifield Au-Pt field (New South Wales) and the Hillside Cu-Au-U rare-earth-element (REE) deposit (South Australia). Soils were analyzed using three-domain multiplex terminal-restriction-fragment-length-polymorphism (M-TRFLP) and PhyloChip microarrays. Geogenic factors were determined using field-mapping techniques and analyses of >50 geochemical parameters. At Fifield, microbial communities differed significantly with geogenic factors and equally with land use (P < 0.05). At Hillside, communities in surface soils (0.03-to 0.2-m depth) differed significantly with landform and land use (P < 0.05). Communities in deeper soils (>0.2 m) differed significantly with lithology and mineral deposit (P < 0.05). Across both sites, elevated metal contents in soils overlying mineral deposits were selective for a range of bacterial taxa, most importantly Acidobacteria, Bacilli, Betaproteobacteria, and Epsilonproteobacteria. In conclusion, long-term geogenic factors can be just as important as land use in determining soil microbial community diversity. Determining the drivers of microbial community composition in soils is challenging, because soils are complex ecosystems containing numerous ecological niches. This results in an immense diversity, with up to thousands of taxa per gram of soil (1). Land use, climate, vegetation, soil type, and anthropogenic pollution are strongly linked to soil microbial community structures, functions, and activities at many sites (2-4). In particular, agricultural practices are known to drive differences in soil microbial communities (5). Influences of geogenic factors, e.g., landform, underlying lithologies, and mineral deposits on soil microbial communities, have received little attention. However, three studies of soils from Switzerland and Nepal have shown that geological/mineralogical factors can significantly affect species assemblages and functions (6-8).A primary goal of geomicrobiological research is to link microbial communities and metal cycling in metallogenic environments and to determine how communities are structured due to metalassociated drivers (9). Microorganisms play a pivotal role in the biogeochemical cycling of many metals, particularly those essential for cell function, e.g., Co, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, V, W, and Zn, and those oxidized or reduced in catabolic reactions to gain metabolic energy, e.g., As, Fe, Mn, Mo, Sb, Se, Sn, Te, U, and V (10). Therefore, metal-rich environments are useful model systems allowing links between microbial taxa and geochemical parameters to be identified (11).To date, mine tailing and acid mine drainage sites have been ...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geogenic Factors as Drivers of Microbial Community Diversity in Soils Overlying Polymetallic Deposits

Reith

Zammit

Pohrib

et al. 2015

Appl Environ Microbiol

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“…The metal tolerance can be conferred by the acquisition of plasmids or genomic islands (18,19) harboring metal-resistance genes encoding metal efflux systems or genes involved in intra-or extracellular metal sequestration, precipitation, and reduction to less toxic forms (20). In a given environment, the ratio of metal-resistant to -sensitive microorganisms may be seen as a bioindicator of the degree of pollution (21,22). However, some reports found that with long-term contamination, metals such as zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd) did not decrease rhizobial diversity (23) or rhizobial numbers (24).…”

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confidence: 99%

Ancient Heavy Metal Contamination in Soils as a Driver of Tolerant Anthyllis vulneraria Rhizobial Communities

Mohamad

Maynaud

Quéré

et al. 2017

Appl Environ Microbiol

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Anthyllis vulneraria is a legume associated with nitrogen-fixing rhizobia that together offer an adapted biological material for mine-soil phytostabilization by limiting metal pollution. To find rhizobia associated with Anthyllis at a given site, we evaluated the genetic and phenotypic properties of a collection of 137 rhizobia recovered from soils presenting contrasting metal levels. Zn-Pb mine soils largely contained metal-tolerant rhizobia belonging to Mesorhizobium metallidurans or to another sister metal-tolerant species. All of the metal-tolerant isolates harbored the cadA marker gene (encoding a metal-efflux P IB -type ATPase transporter). In contrast, metalsensitive strains were taxonomically distinct from metal-tolerant populations and consisted of new Mesorhizobium genospecies. Based on the symbiotic nodA marker, the populations comprise two symbiovar assemblages (potentially related to Anthyllis or Lotus host preferences) according to soil geographic locations but independently of metal content. Multivariate analysis showed that soil Pb and Cd concentrations differentially impacted the rhizobial communities and that a rhizobial community found in one geographically distant site was highly divergent from the others. In conclusion, heavy metal levels in soils drive the taxonomic composition of Anthyllis-associated rhizobial populations according to their metal-tolerance phenotype but not their symbiotic nodA diversity. In addition to heavy metals, local soil physicochemical and topoclimatic conditions also impact the rhizobial beta diversity. Mesorhizobium communities were locally adapted and site specific, and their use is recommended for the success of phytostabilization strategies based on Mesorhizobium-legume vegetation.IMPORTANCE Phytostabilization of toxic mine spoils limits heavy metal dispersion and environmental pollution by establishing a sustainable plant cover. This ecofriendly method is facilitated by the use of selected and adapted cover crop legumes living in symbiosis with rhizobia that can stimulate plant growth naturally through biological nitrogen fixation. We studied microsymbiont partners of a metaltolerant legume, Anthyllis vulneraria, which is tolerant to very highly metal-polluted soils in mining and nonmining sites. Site-specific rhizobial communities were linked to taxonomic composition and metal tolerance capacity. The rhizobial species Mesorhizobium metallidurans was dominant in all Zn-Pb mines but one. It was not detected in unpolluted sites where other distinct Mesorhizobium species occur. Given the different soil conditions at the respective mining sites, including their heavymetal contamination, revegetation strategies based on rhizobia adapting to local conditions are more likely to succeed over the long term compared to strategies based on introducing less-well-adapted strains.

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“…It might be possible, that the replacement of sensitive species by resistant species does not change overall microbial indices such as soil respiration or total biomass. Jansen et al (1994) reported that the total number of bacteria in soils estimated by plate counts, with increasing doses of Cd did not change. However, the ratio between resistant and sensitive bacteria increased substantially; resistant and sensitive bacteria were distinguished on the basis of growth in media with added Cd.…”

Section: Soil Microbial Diversitymentioning

confidence: 96%

Effect of Metals Contamination on Soil Microbial Diversity, Enzymatic Activity, Organic Matter Decomposition and Nitrogen Mineralisation (A Review)

Khan¹

2000

Pakistan J. of Biological Sciences

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Soil is home to remarkable diversity of life from microbes to moles and a well-established ecosystem among these different organisms exists. Microorganisms either independently or in association with other organisms are playing very important role in the plant nutrients recycling. Soil metal concentrations above certain limits disrupt this ecosystem and as a result plant nutrient cycling process. Metal contamination in soils cause proportions of some groups of microorganisms to increase than the others. Compared with bacteria certain groups of fungi are less affected by soil metal pollution. Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) measurements in metal contaminated soils show that within bacterial population, metals are more toxic to gram-positive than gram-negative bacteria. Significant reductions in enzymatic activities occur in soils contaminated with metals and generally metals are more toxic to intra-cellular enzyme activities (e.g. dehydrogenase) than extra-cellular activities (e.g. phosphatase). Similarly, enzymes produced by bacteria are more affected by metal contamination than those produced by fungi. Organic matter decomposition and nitrogen mineralisation, which are carried out by various groups of microorganisms can also be affected by increased metal concentrations in the soils.

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Effects of heavy metals in soil on microbial diversity and activity as shown by the sensitivity-resistance index, an ecologically relevant parameter

Cited by 197 publications

References 14 publications

Geogenic Factors as Drivers of Microbial Community Diversity in Soils Overlying Polymetallic Deposits

Geogenic Factors as Drivers of Microbial Community Diversity in Soils Overlying Polymetallic Deposits

Ancient Heavy Metal Contamination in Soils as a Driver of Tolerant Anthyllis vulneraria Rhizobial Communities

Effect of Metals Contamination on Soil Microbial Diversity, Enzymatic Activity, Organic Matter Decomposition and Nitrogen Mineralisation (A Review)

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