Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Oct;84(3):808-820.
doi: 10.1007/s00248-021-01891-9. Epub 2021 Oct 18.

Root-Associated Bacteria Community Characteristics of Antarctic Plants: Deschampsia antarctica and Colobanthus quitensis-a Comparison

Anna Znój  1   2 , Jan Gawor  3 , Robert Gromadka  3 , Katarzyna J Chwedorzewska  4 , Jakub Grzesiak  5
Affiliations

Root-Associated Bacteria Community Characteristics of Antarctic Plants: Deschampsia antarctica and Colobanthus quitensis-a Comparison

Anna Znój et al. Microb Ecol. 2022 Oct.

Abstract

Colobanthus quitensis (Kunth) Bartl. and Deschampsia antarctica Desv. are the only Magnoliophyta to naturally colonize the Antarctic region. The reason for their sole presence in Antarctica is still debated as there is no definitive consensus on how only two unrelated flowering plants managed to establish breeding populations in this part of the world. In this study, we have explored and compared the rhizosphere and root-endosphere dwelling microbial community of C. quitensis and D. antarctica specimens sampled in maritime Antarctica from sites displaying contrasting edaphic characteristics. Bacterial phylogenetic diversity (high-throughput 16S rRNA gene fragment targeted sequencing) and microbial metabolic activity (Biolog EcoPlates) with a geochemical soil background were assessed. Gathered data showed that the microbiome of C. quitensis root system was mostly site-dependent, displaying different characteristics in each of the examined locations. This plant tolerated an active bacterial community only in severe conditions (salt stress and nutrient deprivation), while in other more favorable circumstances, it restricted microbial activity, with a possibility of microbivory-based nutrient acquisition. The microbial communities of D. antarctica showed a high degree of similarity between samples within a particular rhizocompartment. The grass' endosphere was significantly enriched in plant beneficial taxa of the family Rhizobiaceae, which displayed obligatory endophyte characteristics, suggesting that at least part of this community is transmitted vertically. Ultimately, the ecological success of C. quitensis and D. antarctica in Antarctica might be largely attributed to their associations and management of root-associated microbiota.

Keywords: Antarctic bacteria; Endosphere; Functional symbiosis; Microbial diversity; Rhizosphere.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Sampling site details. A Satellite map displaying the geographical situation of the sampling sites: red circle, King George Island, Maritime Antarctica; 1, sampling site 1, Lions Rump, King George Bay shore; 2, Puchalski Hill; 3, Point Thomas Penguin Rookery, Admiralty Bay shore. B Sampling sites 1–3 landscape and ground photographs. C Sampling sites 1–3 geochemical composition of the soil; N, mg NO3/100 g soil; P, mg P2O5/100 g soil; K, mg K2O/100 g soil; Mg, mg Mg/100 g soil; Ca, mg Ca/100 g soil; Na, mg Na/100 g soil; salinity, g NaCl/L; Mn, mg Mn/kg soil; Zn, mg Zn/kg soil; Cu, mg Cu/kg soil; Fe, mg Fe/kg soil
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Operational taxonomic unit (OTUs) (upper row) and positive EcoPlate response (PER) numbers (lower row) for the bacterial communities associated with the rhizosphere and root endosphere of Deschampsia antarctica and Colobanthus quitensis
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Relative abundance by percentile contribution of sequences identified on a phylum-rank taxonomic level. S, rhizospheric soil samples; R, root samples; D, Deschampsia antarctica; C, Colobanthus quitensis
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Heatmaps. A Sequence contribution identified on a family-rank taxonomic level (value according to sequence contribution percentage); B community responses on Biolog EcoPlates (mean A590 values from three replicates) S, rhizospheric soil samples; R, root samples; 1–3, sampling site numbers
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Correlogram of root endosphere family-rank sequence abundance, soil chemistry, and Biolog EcoPlate response data. Only significant (p < 0.05) correlations are shown
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Principal component analysis (PCA) of biological data. A PCA based on percentage contribution of bacterial sequences identified on a family-rank level. B PCA based on responses obtained for bacterial communities by the Biolog EcoPlate method. C PCA based on a combination of family-rank bacterial sequence percentile contribution and normalized community responses on Biolog EcoPlates. Green dots, Deschampsia antarctica rhizosphere data; blue dots, Deschampsia antarctica endosphere data; red dots, Colobanthus quitensis rhizosphere data; orange dots, Colobanthus quitensis endosphere data
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
A Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) within Deschampsia antarctica and Colobanthus quitensis rhizosphere/endosphere communities based on sequence contribution identified on a phylum taxonomic level; B statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) within Deschampsia antarctica and Colobanthus quitensis rhizosphere/endosphere communities based on community responses on Biolog EcoPlates; C core microbiome of Deschampsia antarctica and Colobanthus quitensis endosphere communities based on sequence contribution (> 1%, red line) identified on a family-rank taxonomic level. Red boxplots, bacterial families present in the roots of both plant species at > 1%; green boxplots, bacterial families present only in the roots of Deschampsia antarctica at > 1%; blue boxplot, bacterial family present only in the roots of Colobanthus quitensis at > 1%
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Pearce DA (2012) Extremophiles in Antarctica: life at low temperatures. In: Stan-Lotter H, Fendrihan S (eds) Adaption of microbial life to environmental extremes (pp. 87–118). Springer, Vienna. pp. 87–118
    1. Parnikoza IY, Maidanuk DN, Kozeretska IA. Are Deschampsia antarctica Desv. and Colobanthus quitensis (Kunth) Bartl. migratory relicts? Cytol Genet. 2007;41:226–229. doi: 10.3103/S0095452707040068. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Biersma EM, Torres-Díaz C, Molina-Montenegro MA, Newsham KK, Vidal MA, Collado GA, Acuña-Rodríguez IS, Ballesteros GI, Figueroa ChC, Goodall-Copestake WP, Leppe MA, Cuba-Díaz M, Valladares MA, Pertierra LR, Convey P. Multiple late-Pleistocene colonisation events of the Antarctic pearlwort Colobanthus quitensis (Caryophyllaceae) reveal the recent arrival of native Antarctic vascular flora. J Bioge. 2020;47(8):1663–1673. doi: 10.1111/jbi.13843. - DOI
    1. Alberdi M, Bravo LA, Gutiérrez A, Gidekel M, Corcuera LJ. Ecophysiology of Antarctic vascular plants. Phys Plantarum. 2002;115(4):479–486. doi: 10.1034/j.1399-3054.2002.1150401.x. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Mosyakin SL, Bezusko LG, Mosyakin AS. Origins of native vascular plants of Antarctica: comments from a historical phytogeography viewpoint. Cytol Genet. 2007;41(5):308–316. doi: 10.3103/S009545270705009X. - DOI - PubMed

Substances

LinkOut - more resources