Chemical Stimulation of Heterocyte Differentiation by the Feather Moss Hylocomium splendens: a Potential New Step in Plant-Cyanobacteria Symbioses
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Chemical Stimulation of Heterocyte Differentiation by the Feather Moss Hylocomium splendens : a Potential New Step in Plant-Cyanobacteria Symbioses. / Alvarenga, Danillo Oliveira; Elmdam, Isabella Vendel; Timm, Alexander Blinkenberg; Rousk, Kathrin.
In: Microbial Ecology, Vol. 86, 2023, p. 419-430.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Chemical Stimulation of Heterocyte Differentiation by the Feather Moss Hylocomium splendens
T2 - a Potential New Step in Plant-Cyanobacteria Symbioses
AU - Alvarenga, Danillo Oliveira
AU - Elmdam, Isabella Vendel
AU - Timm, Alexander Blinkenberg
AU - Rousk, Kathrin
N1 - CENPERM[2022] Publisher Copyright: © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Cyanobacteria associated with mosses play a key role in the nitrogen (N) cycle in unpolluted ecosystems. Mosses have been found to release molecules that induce morphophysiological changes in epiphytic cyanobionts. Nevertheless, the extent of moss influence on these microorganisms remains unknown. To evaluate how mosses or their metabolites influence N2 fixation rates by cyanobacteria, we assessed the nitrogenase activity, heterocyte frequency and biomass of a cyanobacterial strain isolated from the feather moss Hylocomium splendens and a non-symbiotic strain when they were either growing by themselves, together with H. splendens or exposed to H. splendens water, acetone, ethanol, or isopropanol extracts. The same cyanobacterial strains were added to another moss (Taxiphyllum barbieri) and a liverwort (Monosolenium tenerum) to assess if these bryophytes affect N2 fixation differently. Although no significant increases in nitrogenase activity by the cyanobacteria were observed when in contact with H. splendens shoots, both the symbiotic and non-symbiotic cyanobacteria increased nitrogenase activity as well as heterocyte frequency significantly upon exposure to H. splendens ethanol extracts. Contact with T. barbieri shoots, on the other hand, did lead to increases in nitrogenase activity, indicating low host-specificity to cyanobacterial activity. These findings suggest that H. splendens produces heterocyte-differentiating factors (HDFs) that are capable of stimulating cyanobacterial N2 fixation regardless of symbiotic competency. Based on previous knowledge about the chemical ecology and dynamics of moss-cyanobacteria interactions, we speculate that HDF expression by the host takes place in a hypothetical new step occurring after plant colonization and the repression of hormogonia.
AB - Cyanobacteria associated with mosses play a key role in the nitrogen (N) cycle in unpolluted ecosystems. Mosses have been found to release molecules that induce morphophysiological changes in epiphytic cyanobionts. Nevertheless, the extent of moss influence on these microorganisms remains unknown. To evaluate how mosses or their metabolites influence N2 fixation rates by cyanobacteria, we assessed the nitrogenase activity, heterocyte frequency and biomass of a cyanobacterial strain isolated from the feather moss Hylocomium splendens and a non-symbiotic strain when they were either growing by themselves, together with H. splendens or exposed to H. splendens water, acetone, ethanol, or isopropanol extracts. The same cyanobacterial strains were added to another moss (Taxiphyllum barbieri) and a liverwort (Monosolenium tenerum) to assess if these bryophytes affect N2 fixation differently. Although no significant increases in nitrogenase activity by the cyanobacteria were observed when in contact with H. splendens shoots, both the symbiotic and non-symbiotic cyanobacteria increased nitrogenase activity as well as heterocyte frequency significantly upon exposure to H. splendens ethanol extracts. Contact with T. barbieri shoots, on the other hand, did lead to increases in nitrogenase activity, indicating low host-specificity to cyanobacterial activity. These findings suggest that H. splendens produces heterocyte-differentiating factors (HDFs) that are capable of stimulating cyanobacterial N2 fixation regardless of symbiotic competency. Based on previous knowledge about the chemical ecology and dynamics of moss-cyanobacteria interactions, we speculate that HDF expression by the host takes place in a hypothetical new step occurring after plant colonization and the repression of hormogonia.
KW - Bryophytes
KW - Heterocytes
KW - Nitrogen fixation
KW - Nostocaceae
KW - Phycocyanin
U2 - 10.1007/s00248-022-02075-9
DO - 10.1007/s00248-022-02075-9
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 35859069
AN - SCOPUS:85134631123
VL - 86
SP - 419
EP - 430
JO - Microbial Ecology
JF - Microbial Ecology
SN - 0095-3628
ER -
ID: 315983841