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Wilhelm RC, Muñoz-Ucros J, Weikl F, Pritsch K, Goebel M, Buckley DH, Bauerle TL. The effects of mixed-species root zones on the resistance of soil bacteria and fungi to long-term experimental and natural reductions in soil moisture. Sci Total Environ 2023; 873:162266. [PMID: 36822431 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Mixed forest stands tend to be more resistant to drought than species-specific stands partially due to complementarity in root ecology and physiology. We asked whether complementary differences in the drought resistance of soil microbiomes might contribute to this phenomenon. We experimented on the effects of reduced soil moisture on bacterial and fungal community composition in species-specific (single species) and mixed-species root zones of Norway spruce and European beech forests in a 5-year-old throughfall-exclusion experiment and across seasonal (spring-summer-fall) and latitudinal moisture gradients. Bacteria were most responsive to changes in soil moisture, especially members of Rhizobiales, while fungi were largely unaffected, including ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF). Community resistance was higher in spruce relative to beech root zones, corresponding with the proportions of drought-favored (more in spruce) and drought-sensitive bacterial taxa (more in beech). The spruce soil microbiome also exhibited greater resistance to seasonal changes between spring (wettest) and fall (driest). Mixed-species root zones contained a hybrid of beech- and spruce-associated microbiomes. Several bacterial populations exhibited either enhanced resistance or greater susceptibility to drought in mixed root zones. Overall, patterns in the relative abundances of soil bacteria closely tracked moisture in seasonal and latitudinal precipitation gradients and were more predictive of soil water content than other environmental variables. We conclude that complementary differences in the drought resistance of soil microbiomes can occur and the likeliest form of complementarity in mixed-root zones coincides with the enrichment of drought-tolerant bacteria associated with spruce and the sustenance of EMF by beech.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland C Wilhelm
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA; Agronomy Department, Lilly Hall of Life Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47904, USA
| | - Juana Muñoz-Ucros
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Fabian Weikl
- Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany; Technical University of Munich, Professorship of Land Surface Atmosphere Interactions, Freising, Germany
| | - Karin Pritsch
- Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Marc Goebel
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Daniel H Buckley
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Taryn L Bauerle
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
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2
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Hikino K, Danzberger J, Riedel VP, Hesse BD, Hafner BD, Gebhardt T, Rehschuh R, Ruehr NK, Brunn M, Bauerle TL, Landhäusser SM, Lehmann MM, Rötzer T, Pretzsch H, Buegger F, Weikl F, Pritsch K, Grams TEE. Dynamics of initial carbon allocation after drought release in mature Norway spruce-Increased belowground allocation of current photoassimilates covers only half of the carbon used for fine-root growth. Glob Chang Biol 2022; 28:6889-6905. [PMID: 36039835 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
After drought events, tree recovery depends on sufficient carbon (C) allocation to the sink organs. The present study aimed to elucidate dynamics of tree-level C sink activity and allocation of recent photoassimilates (Cnew ) and stored C in c. 70-year-old Norway spruce (Picea abies) trees during a 4-week period after drought release. We conducted a continuous, whole-tree 13 C labeling in parallel with controlled watering after 5 years of experimental summer drought. The fate of Cnew to growth and CO2 efflux was tracked along branches, stems, coarse- and fine roots, ectomycorrhizae and root exudates to soil CO2 efflux after drought release. Compared with control trees, drought recovering trees showed an overall 6% lower C sink activity and 19% less allocation of Cnew to aboveground sinks, indicating a low priority for aboveground sinks during recovery. In contrast, fine-root growth in recovering trees was seven times greater than that of controls. However, only half of the C used for new fine-root growth was comprised of Cnew while the other half was supplied by stored C. For drought recovery of mature spruce trees, in addition to Cnew , stored C appears to be critical for the regeneration of the fine-root system and the associated water uptake capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyohsuke Hikino
- Professorship for Land Surface-Atmosphere Interactions, Ecophysiology of Plants, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Jasmin Danzberger
- Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Vincent P Riedel
- Professorship for Land Surface-Atmosphere Interactions, Ecophysiology of Plants, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Benjamin D Hesse
- Professorship for Land Surface-Atmosphere Interactions, Ecophysiology of Plants, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Benjamin D Hafner
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Timo Gebhardt
- Professorship for Land Surface-Atmosphere Interactions, Ecophysiology of Plants, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Romy Rehschuh
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research-Atmospheric Environmental Research (KIT/IMK-IFU), Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
- Institute of General Ecology and Environmental Protection, Technische Universität Dresden, Pienner Str. 7, Tharandt, 01737, Germany
| | - Nadine K Ruehr
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research-Atmospheric Environmental Research (KIT/IMK-IFU), Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
| | - Melanie Brunn
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, University Koblenz-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Taryn L Bauerle
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Simon M Landhäusser
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Marco M Lehmann
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Forest Dynamics, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Rötzer
- Forest Growth and Yield Science, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Hans Pretzsch
- Forest Growth and Yield Science, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Franz Buegger
- Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Fabian Weikl
- Professorship for Land Surface-Atmosphere Interactions, Ecophysiology of Plants, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Karin Pritsch
- Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Thorsten E E Grams
- Professorship for Land Surface-Atmosphere Interactions, Ecophysiology of Plants, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
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Brunn M, Hafner BD, Zwetsloot MJ, Weikl F, Pritsch K, Hikino K, Ruehr NK, Sayer EJ, Bauerle TL. Carbon allocation to root exudates is maintained in mature temperate tree species under drought. New Phytol 2022; 235:965-977. [PMID: 35403713 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Carbon (C) exuded via roots is proposed to increase under drought and facilitate important ecosystem functions. However, it is unknown how exudate quantities relate to the total C budget of a drought-stressed tree, that is, how much of net-C assimilation is allocated to exudation at the tree level. We calculated the proportion of daily C assimilation allocated to root exudation during early summer by collecting root exudates from mature Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies exposed to experimental drought, and combining above- and belowground C fluxes with leaf, stem and fine-root surface area. Exudation from individual roots increased exponentially with decreasing soil moisture, with the highest increase at the wilting point. Despite c. 50% reduced C assimilation under drought, exudation from fine-root systems was maintained and trees exuded 1.0% (F. sylvatica) to 2.5% (P. abies) of net C into the rhizosphere, increasing the proportion of C allocation to exudates two- to three-fold. Water-limited P. abies released two-thirds of its exudate C into the surface soil, whereas in droughted F. sylvatica it was only one-third. Across the entire root system, droughted trees maintained exudation similar to controls, suggesting drought-imposed belowground C investment, which could be beneficial for ecosystem resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Brunn
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, 76829, Landau, Germany
| | - Benjamin D Hafner
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Marie J Zwetsloot
- Soil Biology Group, Wageningen University, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Fabian Weikl
- Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH - German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
- TUM School of Life Sciences, Land Surface-Atmosphere Interactions, Ecophysiology of Plants, Technical University of Munich, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Karin Pritsch
- Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH - German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Kyohsuke Hikino
- TUM School of Life Sciences, Land Surface-Atmosphere Interactions, Ecophysiology of Plants, Technical University of Munich, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Nadine K Ruehr
- Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research - Atmospheric Environmental Research (IMK-IFU), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), 82467, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
| | - Emma J Sayer
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, LA1 4YQ, Lancaster, UK
| | - Taryn L Bauerle
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
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Hikino K, Danzberger J, Riedel VP, Rehschuh R, Ruehr NK, Hesse BD, Lehmann MM, Buegger F, Weikl F, Pritsch K, Grams TEE. High resilience of carbon transport in long-term drought-stressed mature Norway spruce trees within 2 weeks after drought release. Glob Chang Biol 2022; 28:2095-2110. [PMID: 34927319 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Under ongoing global climate change, drought periods are predicted to increase in frequency and intensity in the future. Under these circumstances, it is crucial for tree's survival to recover their restricted functionalities quickly after drought release. To elucidate the recovery of carbon (C) transport rates in c. 70-year-old Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] KARST.) after 5 years of recurrent summer droughts, we conducted a continuous whole-tree 13 C labeling experiment in parallel with watering. We determined the arrival time of current photoassimilates in major C sinks by tracing the 13 C label in stem and soil CO2 efflux, and tips of living fine roots. In the first week after watering, aboveground C transport rates (CTR) from crown to trunk base were still 50% lower in previously drought-stressed trees (0.16 ± 0.01 m h-1 ) compared to controls (0.30 ± 0.06 m h-1 ). Conversely, CTR below ground, that is, from the trunk base to soil CO2 efflux were already similar between treatments (c. 0.03 m h-1 ). Two weeks after watering, aboveground C transport of previously drought-stressed trees recovered to the level of the controls. Furthermore, regrowth of water-absorbing fine roots upon watering was supported by faster incorporation of 13 C label in previously drought-stressed (within 12 ± 10 h upon arrival at trunk base) compared to control trees (73 ± 10 h). Thus, the whole-tree C transport system from the crown to soil CO2 efflux fully recovered within 2 weeks after drought release, and hence showed high resilience to recurrent summer droughts in mature Norway spruce forests. This high resilience of the C transport system is an important prerequisite for the recovery of other tree functionalities and productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyohsuke Hikino
- Technical University of Munich (TUM), TUM School of Life Sciences, Land Surface-Atmosphere Interactions, Ecophysiology of Plants, Freising, Germany
| | - Jasmin Danzberger
- Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Vincent P Riedel
- Technical University of Munich (TUM), TUM School of Life Sciences, Land Surface-Atmosphere Interactions, Ecophysiology of Plants, Freising, Germany
| | - Romy Rehschuh
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research-Atmospheric Environmental Research (KIT/IMK-IFU), Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
| | - Nadine K Ruehr
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research-Atmospheric Environmental Research (KIT/IMK-IFU), Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
| | - Benjamin D Hesse
- Technical University of Munich (TUM), TUM School of Life Sciences, Land Surface-Atmosphere Interactions, Ecophysiology of Plants, Freising, Germany
| | - Marco M Lehmann
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Forest Dynamics, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Franz Buegger
- Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Fabian Weikl
- Technical University of Munich (TUM), TUM School of Life Sciences, Land Surface-Atmosphere Interactions, Ecophysiology of Plants, Freising, Germany
- Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Karin Pritsch
- Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Thorsten E E Grams
- Technical University of Munich (TUM), TUM School of Life Sciences, Land Surface-Atmosphere Interactions, Ecophysiology of Plants, Freising, Germany
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Markevych I, Ludwig R, Baumbach C, Standl M, Heinrich J, Herberth G, de Hoogh K, Pritsch K, Weikl F. Residing near allergenic trees can increase risk of allergies later in life: LISA Leipzig study. Environ Res 2020; 191:110132. [PMID: 32853665 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We investigated whether residing in places with higher greenness, more trees and more allergenic trees early in life increases the risk of allergic outcomes, and whether these associations differ depending on the concentration of air pollutants. METHODS The analytic sample included 631 children from the German birth cohort LISA Leipzig. Asthma and allergic rhinitis, sensitization to aeroallergens and food allergens, as well as confounders, were collected prospectively up to 15 years. Greenness was assessed by Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). A tree registry was used to derive information on trees, which were classified into allergenic and non-allergenic. Annual average concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone were also used. Geographic exposures were assigned to home addresses at birth. Longitudinal associations were analysed using generalized estimating equations. RESULTS Medium and high numbers (tertiles) of trees and allergenic trees in a 500 m buffer around birth addresses were associated with increased odds of allergic rhinitis up to 15 years regardless of NDVI. These exposures were also related to higher odds of sensitization to aeroallergens. Associations with asthma and sensitization to food allergens were less consistent. Effect estimates for allergic rhinitis were stronger in the high tertile of NO2 compared to the low tertile, while an opposite tendency was observed for ozone. CONCLUSION We observed that early life residence in places with many trees, and allergenic trees specifically, may increase the prevalence of allergic rhinitis later in life. This association and its modification by air pollution should be pursued in further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iana Markevych
- Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany; Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany; Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.
| | - Romina Ludwig
- Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany; Faculty of Biology, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; Allergens in Ecosystems, Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | | | - Marie Standl
- Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Joachim Heinrich
- Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany; Allergy and Lung Health Unit, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Gunda Herberth
- Department of Environmental Immunology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Kees de Hoogh
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Karin Pritsch
- Allergens in Ecosystems, Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Fabian Weikl
- Allergens in Ecosystems, Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
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Nickel UT, Weikl F, Kerner R, Schäfer C, Kallenbach C, Munch JC, Pritsch K. Quantitative losses vs. qualitative stability of ectomycorrhizal community responses to 3 years of experimental summer drought in a beech-spruce forest. Glob Chang Biol 2018; 24:e560-e576. [PMID: 29063659 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Revised: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 10/11/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Forest ecosystems in central Europe are predicted to face an increasing frequency and severity of summer droughts because of global climate change. European beech and Norway spruce often coexist in these forests with mostly positive effects on their growth. However, their different below-ground responses to drought may lead to differences in ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungal community composition and functions which we examined at the individual root and ecosystem levels. We installed retractable roofs over plots in Kranzberg Forest (11°39'42″E, 48°25'12″N; 490 m a.s.l.) to impose repeated summer drought conditions and assigned zones within each plot where trees neighboured the same or different species to study mixed species effects. We found that ECM fungal community composition changed and the numbers of vital mycorrhizae decreased for both tree species over 3 drought years (2014-2016), with the ECM fungal community diversity of beech exhibiting a faster and of spruce a stronger decline. Mixed stands had a positive effect on the ECM fungal community diversity of both tree species after the third drought year. Ectomycorrhizae with long rhizomorphs increased in both species under drought, indicating long-distance water transport. However, there was a progressive decline in the number of vital fine roots during the experiment, resulting in a strong reduction in enzyme activity per unit volume of soil. Hydrolytic enzyme activities of the surviving ectomycorrhizae were stable or stimulated upon drought, but there was a large decline in ECM fungal species with laccase activity, indicating a decreased potential to exploit nutrients bound to phenolic compounds. Thus, the ectomycorrhizae responded to repeated drought by maintaining or increasing their functionality at the individual root level, but were unable to compensate for quantitative losses at the ecosystem level. These findings demonstrate a strong below-ground impact of recurrent drought events in forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uwe T Nickel
- Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Allergens in Ecosystems, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Fabian Weikl
- Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Allergens in Ecosystems, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - René Kerner
- Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Allergens in Ecosystems, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Cynthia Schäfer
- Forest Growth and Yield Science, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany
| | | | - Jean C Munch
- Grassland Science, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany
| | - Karin Pritsch
- Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Allergens in Ecosystems, Neuherberg, Germany
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7
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Tischer C, Weikl F, Probst AJ, Standl M, Heinrich J, Pritsch K. Urban Dust Microbiome: Impact on Later Atopy and Wheezing. Environ Health Perspect 2016; 124:1919-1923. [PMID: 27232328 PMCID: PMC5132631 DOI: 10.1289/ehp158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2015] [Revised: 01/29/2016] [Accepted: 05/04/2016] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Investigations in urban areas have just begun to explore how the indoor dust microbiome may affect the pathogenesis of asthma and allery. OBJECTIVE We aimed to investigate the early fungal and bacterial microbiome in house dust with allergic sensitization and wheezing later in childhood. METHODS Individual dust samples from 189 homes of the LISAplus birth cohort study were collected shortly after birth from living room floors and profiled for fungal and bacterial microbiome. Fungal and bacterial diversity was assessed with terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (tRFLP) and defined by Simpson's Diversity Index. Information on wheezing outcomes and covariates until the age of 10 years was obtained by parent questionnaires. Information on specific allergic sensitization was available at child's age 6 and 10 years. Logistic regression and general estimation equation (GEE) models were used to examine the relationship between microbial diversity and health outcomes. RESULTS Adjusted logistic regression analyses revealed a significantly reduced risk of developing sensitization to aero-allergens at 6 years and ever wheezing until the age of 10 years for exposure to higher fungal diversity [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.26 (95% CI: 0.10, 0.70), and 0.42 (95% CI: 0.18, 0.96), respectively]. The associations were attenuated for the longitudinal analyses (GEE) until the age of 10 years. There was no association between higher exposure to bacterial diversity and the tested health outcomes. CONCLUSION Higher early exposure to fungal diversity might help to prevent a child from developing sensitization to aero-allergens in early childhood, but the reasons for attenuated effects in later childhood require further prospective studies. Citation: Tischer C, Weikl F, Probst AJ, Standl M, Heinrich J, Pritsch K. 2016. Urban dust microbiome: impact on later atopy and wheezing. Environ Health Perspect 124:1919-1923; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/EHP158.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Tischer
- Institute of Epidemiology I, Helmholtz Zentrum München–German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
- ISGlobal, Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Fabian Weikl
- Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München–German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Alexander J. Probst
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Marie Standl
- Institute of Epidemiology I, Helmholtz Zentrum München–German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Joachim Heinrich
- Institute of Epidemiology I, Helmholtz Zentrum München–German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute and Outpatient Clinic for Occupational, Social, and Environmental Medicine, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Karin Pritsch
- Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München–German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
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8
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Weikl F, Tischer C, Probst AJ, Heinrich J, Markevych I, Jochner S, Pritsch K. Fungal and Bacterial Communities in Indoor Dust Follow Different Environmental Determinants. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0154131. [PMID: 27100967 PMCID: PMC4839684 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0154131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
People spend most of their time inside buildings and the indoor microbiome is a major part of our everyday environment. It affects humans’ wellbeing and therefore its composition is important for use in inferring human health impacts. It is still not well understood how environmental conditions affect indoor microbial communities. Existing studies have mostly focussed on the local (e.g., building units) or continental scale and rarely on the regional scale, e.g. a specific metropolitan area. Therefore, we wanted to identify key environmental determinants for the house dust microbiome from an existing collection of spatially (area of Munich, Germany) and temporally (301 days) distributed samples and to determine changes in the community as a function of time. To that end, dust samples that had been collected once from the living room floors of 286 individual households, were profiled for fungal and bacterial community variation and diversity using microbial fingerprinting techniques. The profiles were tested for their association with occupant behaviour, building characteristics, outdoor pollution, vegetation, and urbanization. Our results showed that more environmental and particularly outdoor factors (vegetation, urbanization, airborne particulate matter) affected the community composition of indoor fungi than of bacteria. The passage of time affected fungi and, surprisingly, also strongly affected bacteria. We inferred that fungal communities in indoor dust changed semi-annually, whereas bacterial communities paralleled outdoor plant phenological periods. These differences in temporal dynamics cannot be fully explained and should be further investigated in future studies on indoor microbiomes.
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MESH Headings
- Air Microbiology
- Air Pollution/analysis
- Air Pollution, Indoor/analysis
- Air Pollution, Indoor/statistics & numerical data
- Bacteria/classification
- Bacteria/genetics
- Bacteria/growth & development
- DNA Fingerprinting/methods
- DNA, Bacterial/analysis
- DNA, Bacterial/genetics
- DNA, Fungal/analysis
- DNA, Fungal/genetics
- DNA, Ribosomal Spacer/analysis
- DNA, Ribosomal Spacer/genetics
- Dust/analysis
- Environmental Monitoring/methods
- Environmental Monitoring/statistics & numerical data
- Family Characteristics
- Fungi/classification
- Fungi/genetics
- Fungi/growth & development
- Germany
- Housing/statistics & numerical data
- Humans
- Infant, Newborn
- Microbiota/genetics
- Microbiota/physiology
- Particulate Matter/analysis
- Population Dynamics
- RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/analysis
- RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics
- Seasons
- Sequence Analysis, DNA/methods
- Urban Population/statistics & numerical data
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Weikl
- Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München—German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
- * E-mail: ;
| | - Christina Tischer
- Institute of Epidemiology I, Helmholtz Zentrum München—German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
- Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alexander J. Probst
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Joachim Heinrich
- Institute of Epidemiology I, Helmholtz Zentrum München—German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute and Outpatient Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Iana Markevych
- Institute of Epidemiology I, Helmholtz Zentrum München—German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
- Division of Metabolic and Nutritional Medicine, Dr. von Hauner Children’s Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Susanne Jochner
- Physical Geography / Landscape Ecology and Sustainable Ecosystem Development, Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Eichstätt, Germany
| | - Karin Pritsch
- Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München—German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
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9
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Weikl F, Ghirardo A, Schnitzler JP, Pritsch K. Sesquiterpene emissions from Alternaria alternata and Fusarium oxysporum: Effects of age, nutrient availability, and co-cultivation. Sci Rep 2016; 6:22152. [PMID: 26915756 PMCID: PMC4768142 DOI: 10.1038/srep22152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2015] [Accepted: 02/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternaria alternata is one of the most studied fungi to date because of its impact on human life – from plant pathogenicity to allergenicity. However, its sesquiterpene emissions have not been systematically explored. Alternaria regularly co-occurs with Fusarium fungi, which are common plant pathogens, on withering plants. We analyzed the diversity and determined the absolute quantities of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the headspace above mycelial cultures of A. alternata and Fusarium oxysporum under different conditions (nutrient rich and poor, single cultures and co-cultivation) and at different mycelial ages. Using stir bar sorptive extraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, we observed A. alternata to strongly emit sesquiterpenes, particularly during the early growth stages, while emissions from F. oxysporum consistently remained comparatively low. The emission profile characterizing A. alternata comprised over 20 sesquiterpenes with few effects from nutrient quality and age on the overall emission profile. Co-cultivation with F. oxysporum resulted in reduced amounts of VOCs emitted from A. alternata although its profile remained similar. Both fungi showed distinct emission profiles, rendering them suitable biomarkers for growth-detection of their phylotype in ambient air. The study highlights the importance of thorough and quantitative evaluations of fungal emissions of volatile infochemicals such as sesquiterpenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Weikl
- Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology (BIOP), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Andrea Ghirardo
- Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Research Unit Environmental Simulation (EUS), Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Jörg-Peter Schnitzler
- Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Research Unit Environmental Simulation (EUS), Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Karin Pritsch
- Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology (BIOP), Neuherberg, Germany
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Weikl F, Radl V, Munch JC, Pritsch K. Targeting allergenic fungi in agricultural environments aids the identification of major sources and potential risks for human health. Sci Total Environ 2015; 529:223-30. [PMID: 26022406 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.05.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2015] [Revised: 04/30/2015] [Accepted: 05/15/2015] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Fungi are, after pollen, the second most important producers of outdoor airborne allergens. To identify sources of airborne fungal allergens, a workflow for qPCR quantification from environmental samples was developed, thoroughly tested, and finally applied. We concentrated on determining the levels of allergenic fungi belonging to Alternaria, Cladosporium, Fusarium, and Trichoderma in plant and soil samples from agricultural fields in which cereals were grown. Our aims were to identify the major sources of allergenic fungi and factors potentially influencing their occurrence. Plant materials were the main source of the tested fungi at and after harvest. Amounts of A. alternata and C. cladosporioides varied significantly in fields under different management conditions, but absolute levels were very high in all cases. This finding suggests that high numbers of allergenic fungi may be an inevitable side effect of farming in several crops. Applied in large-scale studies, the concept described here may help to explain the high number of sensitization to airborne fungal allergens.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Weikl
- Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Neuherberg, Germany.
| | - V Radl
- Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Research Unit Environmental Genomics, Neuherberg, Germany.
| | - J C Munch
- Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany.
| | - K Pritsch
- Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Neuherberg, Germany.
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11
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Spring S, Rachel R, Lapidus A, Davenport K, Tice H, Copeland A, Cheng JF, Lucas S, Chen F, Nolan M, Bruce D, Goodwin L, Pitluck S, Ivanova N, Mavromatis K, Ovchinnikova G, Pati A, Chen A, Palaniappan K, Land M, Hauser L, Chang YJ, Jeffries CC, Brettin T, Detter JC, Tapia R, Han C, Heimerl T, Weikl F, Brambilla E, Göker M, Bristow J, Eisen JA, Markowitz V, Hugenholtz P, Kyrpides NC, Klenk HP. Complete genome sequence of Thermosphaera aggregans type strain (M11TL). Stand Genomic Sci 2010; 2:245-59. [PMID: 21304709 PMCID: PMC3035292 DOI: 10.4056/sigs.821804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Thermosphaera aggregans Huber et al. 1998 is the type species of the genus Thermosphaera, which comprises at the time of writing only one species. This species represents archaea with a hyperthermophilic, heterotrophic, strictly anaerobic and fermentative phenotype. The type strain M11TL(T) was isolated from a water-sediment sample of a hot terrestrial spring (Obsidian Pool, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming). Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence and annotation. The 1,316,595 bp long single replicon genome with its 1,410 protein-coding and 47 RNA genes is a part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.
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