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Signal and Nutrient Exchange in the Interactions Between Soil Algae and Bacteria

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Biocommunication in Soil Microorganisms

Part of the book series: Soil Biology ((SOILBIOL,volume 23))

Abstract

Microbial consortia of soil algae and prokaryotes have important functions in terrestrial ecosystems. Recent studies helped delineate phylogenetic diversity of microbiota associated with soil algae. Some signals and nutrients exchanged between algae and the associated bacteria were also identified. Both algae and bacteria appear to benefit from the interactions: algae derive fixed nitrogen, vitamins, and hormones from their bacterial associates. Soil algae also produce vitamin signals (lumichrome and riboflavin) that act as agonists of bacterial cell-to-cell communication known as “quorum sensing.” Further studies are needed to establish the ecological consequences of algal–bacterial nutrient and signal exchange.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    “Novel” was defined by the authors as having less than 94% similarity in the V3 region of the 16S rRNA gene to the closest known relative (Otsuka et al. 2008).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Soil and Water Science Department, School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Florida-Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, 2159 McCarty Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32618, USA

    Max Teplitski

  2. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dartmouth Medical School, 208 Vail building, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA

    Sathish Rajamani

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  1. Max Teplitski
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  2. Sathish Rajamani
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Correspondence to Max Teplitski .

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  1. Telos - Philosophische Praxis, Vogelsangstr. 18c18c, Bürmoos, 5111, Austria

    Günther Witzany

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Teplitski, M., Rajamani, S. (2011). Signal and Nutrient Exchange in the Interactions Between Soil Algae and Bacteria. In: Witzany, G. (eds) Biocommunication in Soil Microorganisms. Soil Biology, vol 23. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-14512-4_16

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