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. 2024 Dec 3:15:1476073.
doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1476073. eCollection 2024.

Functional assembly of surface microbiota of Ulva fasciata improves nutrient absorption efficiency and growth

Han Wang  1 , De-Hua Li  2 , Jing-Ru Wang  1 , Rong Wang  3 , Chang-Li Liang  1 , Zhong Hu #  4 , Jun-He Liu #  1
Affiliations

Functional assembly of surface microbiota of Ulva fasciata improves nutrient absorption efficiency and growth

Han Wang et al. Front Microbiol. .

Abstract

Macroalgae growth depends on biologically available nitrogen, such as ammonium and nitrate, making nitrogen the most common growth-limiting factor for macroalgae. However, the role of surface microorganisms in promoting nitrogen transformation and improving nitrogen utilization by macroalgae remains unclear. In this study, 228 bacterial strains were isolated from the surface of U. fasciata, and high-throughput sequencing revealed significant shifts in the composition of surface bacterial communities under different nitrogen concentrations. Key bacterial families such as Rhodobacteraceae and Flavobacteriaceae were identified as essential for nitrogen cycling. Network analysis indicated that Rhodobacteraceae and Flavobacteriaceae were central nodes in microbial interactions. A synthetic microbial community (SynCom2), comprising four strains, significantly increased the biomass, nitrogen, and phosphorus acquisition of U. fasciata, with soluble sugar, protein, and Chlorophyll a level increasing by 23.9-49.2%. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis revealed that compared to untreated control plants, SynCom2 enhanced the expression of key genes associated with photosynthesis (rbcL, 1.04-fold), lipid biosynthesis (accD, 11.21-fold), and growth hormone precursor pathways (wrkY, 9.54-fold). These findings suggest that SynCom2 promotes U. fasciata growth by improving nutrient acquisition and activating growth-related genes.

Keywords: Ulva fasciata; function composition; nitrogen concentration; nutrient efficiency; synthetic community.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Changes of family level in surface community of Ulva under different nitrogen concentration.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Used the ANCOM statistical analysis to calculate the relative abundance of different bacterial species at phylum (A) and genus (B) levels with different nitrogen concentration.
Figure 3
Figure 3
PCoA analysis under different nitrogen concentration treatment family level.
Figure 4
Figure 4
RDA analysis of environmental factors and bacterial genera under different nitrogen concentration.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Correlation network diagram of bacterial genus levels in samples treated with different nitrogen concentration.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Rhodobacteraceae and Flavobacteriaceae stains (A) phylogenetic analysis and (B) functional screening of strains.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Changes of four physiological indices, N content, P content, dry weight and wet weight of sterile U. fasciata with two SynComs. (A) Phycocyanin (B) Chlorophyll a (C) Soluble protein (D) Soluble suger (E) N content (F) P content (G) Dry weight (H) Wet weight. The error bars are standard deviation; different letters on the error lines indicate significant differences between different treatments (α = 0.05).
Figure 8
Figure 8
(A) Activity of glutamine synthetase with two SynComs and (B) rbcL, accD and wrkY gene expression multiples in SynCom2 compared with control.
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