This preprint is under consideration at Microbiome. A preprint is a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Learn more about In Review
Research
The Bacterial Communities of Alaskan Mosses and Their Contributions to N2-Fixation
Hannah Holland-Moritz
University of Colorado, Boulder
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0854-872X
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Background: Mosses in high latitude ecosystems harbor diverse bacterial taxa, including N2-fixers which are key contributors to nitrogen dynamics in these systems. Yet, the relative importance of moss host species, and environmental factors, in structuring these microbial communities and their N2-fixing potential remains unclear. We studied 26 boreal and tundra moss species across 24 sites in Alaska, USA from 61º to 69º N. We used cultivation-independent approaches to characterize the variation in moss-associated bacterial communities as a function of host species identity and site characteristics. We also measured N2-fixation rates via 15N2 isotopic enrichment and identified potential N2-fixing bacteria using available literature and genomic information.
Results: Host species identity and host evolutionary history were both highly predictive of moss microbiome composition, highlighting strong phylogenetic coherence in these microbial communities. Although less important, light availability and temperature also influenced composition of the moss microbiome. Finally, we identified putative N2-fixing bacteria specific to some moss hosts, including potential N2-fixing bacteria outside well-studied cyanobacterial clades.
Conclusions: The strong effect of host identity on moss-associated bacterial communities demonstrates mosses’ utility for understanding plant-microbe interactions in non-leguminous systems. Our work also highlights the likely importance of novel bacterial taxa to N2-fixation in high-latitude ecosystems.
Keywords
Bryophytes, plant microbiome, phyllosphere, nitrogen fixation
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Due to technical limitations, full-text HTML conversion of this manuscript could not be completed. However, the manuscript can be downloaded and accessed as a PDF.
This is a list of supplementary files associated with this preprint. Click to download.
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
Peer Review Timeline
CURRENT STATUS: Under Review
Version 1
Posted 23 Sep, 2020
No community comments so far
Review #3 received
Received 19 Nov, 2020
Editorial decision: Minor revision
On 19 Nov, 2020
Review #4 received
Received 16 Nov, 2020
Review #2 received
Received 02 Nov, 2020
Reviewer #3 agreed
On 26 Oct, 2020
Reviewer #4 agreed
On 26 Oct, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 06 Oct, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 05 Oct, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 29 Sep, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 27 Sep, 2020
Editor assigned
On 20 Sep, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 19 Sep, 2020
Editor invited
On 19 Sep, 2020
First submitted
On 17 Sep, 2020
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
Subject Areas
General Microbiology
Learn more about our company.
This preprint is under consideration at Microbiome. A preprint is a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Learn more about In Review
Research
The Bacterial Communities of Alaskan Mosses and Their Contributions to N2-Fixation
Hannah Holland-Moritz
University of Colorado, Boulder
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0854-872X
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
Peer Review Timeline
CURRENT STATUS: Under Review
Version 1
Posted 23 Sep, 2020
No community comments so far
Review #3 received
Received 19 Nov, 2020
Editorial decision: Minor revision
On 19 Nov, 2020
Review #4 received
Received 16 Nov, 2020
Review #2 received
Received 02 Nov, 2020
Reviewer #3 agreed
On 26 Oct, 2020
Reviewer #4 agreed
On 26 Oct, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 06 Oct, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 05 Oct, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 29 Sep, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 27 Sep, 2020
Editor assigned
On 20 Sep, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 19 Sep, 2020
Editor invited
On 19 Sep, 2020
First submitted
On 17 Sep, 2020
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
Subject Areas
General Microbiology
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Background: Mosses in high latitude ecosystems harbor diverse bacterial taxa, including N2-fixers which are key contributors to nitrogen dynamics in these systems. Yet, the relative importance of moss host species, and environmental factors, in structuring these microbial communities and their N2-fixing potential remains unclear. We studied 26 boreal and tundra moss species across 24 sites in Alaska, USA from 61º to 69º N. We used cultivation-independent approaches to characterize the variation in moss-associated bacterial communities as a function of host species identity and site characteristics. We also measured N2-fixation rates via 15N2 isotopic enrichment and identified potential N2-fixing bacteria using available literature and genomic information.
Results: Host species identity and host evolutionary history were both highly predictive of moss microbiome composition, highlighting strong phylogenetic coherence in these microbial communities. Although less important, light availability and temperature also influenced composition of the moss microbiome. Finally, we identified putative N2-fixing bacteria specific to some moss hosts, including potential N2-fixing bacteria outside well-studied cyanobacterial clades.
Conclusions: The strong effect of host identity on moss-associated bacterial communities demonstrates mosses’ utility for understanding plant-microbe interactions in non-leguminous systems. Our work also highlights the likely importance of novel bacterial taxa to N2-fixation in high-latitude ecosystems.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Due to technical limitations, full-text HTML conversion of this manuscript could not be completed. However, the manuscript can be downloaded and accessed as a PDF.