Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Metagenomics Approach in Forest Ecosystem


Affiliations
1 Department of Tree Physiology and Breeding, College of Forestry, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara, Thrissur (Kerala), India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


Forest ecosystems come under some of the most complex microbial community on Earth. Forest soil is an assemblage of archaea, bacteria, fungi, and protists, who play a crucial role in biogeochemical cycles. The soil ecology, biogeochemistry, microbial community structure serves as an indicator of forest ecosystem status, energy flow pattern and soil productivity. But it is difficult to determine the microbial composition, diversity and variability of forest soil as about 99.5% of micro-organisms cannot be cultured and grown in laboratory condition. Metagenomics is a culture-independent genomic analysis of microorganisms, directly obtained from the environment and can be used to tackle such problems which are assisted by rRNA universal markers, next-generation sequencing techniques, and bioinformatics tools. Attempts have been made by scientists to explore the forest microbiomes through metagenomics approach have been reviewed in this article. Metagenomics analysis has been carried out in various type of forest soils to access the microbial genetic resources and to know the phylogenetic diversity and abundance of a particular forest type, which helps in understanding their role in the forest ecosystem. As per the future line of work, it is needed to apply metagenomics in accumulating information across diverse forest habitat types which will help in better understanding the role of micro-organisms in the forest ecosystem, how they are helpful against different abiotic stresses, diseases, and other ecosystem functions.

Keywords

Metagenomics, Next-Generation Sequencing, Bioinformatics Tools, Forest Ecosystem.
Subscription Login to verify subscription
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • Baldrian, P., Kolarik, M., Stursova, M., Kopecky, J., Valaskova, V., Vetrovsky, T., Zifcakova, L., Snajdr, J., Rídl, J., Vlcek, C. and Voriskova, J. (2012). Active and total microbial communities in forest soil are largely different and highly stratified during decomposition. The ISME J., 6(2) : 248-258.
  • Biver, S. and Vandenbol, M. (2013). Characterization of three new carboxylic ester hydrolases isolated by functional screening of a forest soil metagenomic library. J. Industrial Microbial. Biotechnol., 40(2): 191-200.
  • Buee, M., Reich, M., Murat, C., Morin, E., Nilsson, R.H., Uroz, S. and Martin, F. (2009). 454 Pyrosequencing analyses of forest soils reveal an unexpectedly high fungal diversity. New Phytologist, 184 (2) : 449-456.
  • Bunterngsook, B., Kanokratana, P., Thongaram, T., Tanapongpipat, S., Uengwetwanit, T., Rachdawong, S., Vichitsoonthonkul, T. and Eurwilaichitr, L. (2010). Identification and characterization of lipolytic enzymes from a peat-swamp forest soil metagenome. Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem., 74(9): 1848-1854.
  • Craig, J.W., Chang, F.Y., Kim, J.H., Obiajulu, S.C. and Brady, S.F. (2010). Expanding small-molecule functional metagenomics through parallel screening of broad-host-range cosmid environmental DNA libraries in diverse proteobacteria. Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 76(5): 1633-1641.
  • Faoro, H., Glogauer, A., Souza, E.M., Rigo, L.U., Cruz, L.M., Monteiro, R.A. and Pedrosa, F.O. (2011). Identification of a new lipase family in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest soil metagenome. Environ. Microbiol. Reports, 3(6):750-755.
  • Handelsman, J. (2004). Metagenomics: application of genomics to uncultured microorganisms. Microbiol. Molecular. Biol. Reviews, 68(4) : 669-685.
  • Hartmann, M., Howes, C.G., VanInsberghe, D., Yu, H., Bachar, D., Christen, R., Nilsson, R.H., Hallam, S.J. and Mohn, W.W. (2012). Significant and persistent impact of timber harvesting on soil microbial communities in Northern coniferous forests. The ISME J., 6(12): 2199-2218.
  • Jimenez, D.J., Montana, J.S., Alvarez, D. and Baena, S. (2012). A novel cold active esterase derived from Colombian high Andean forest soil metagenome. World J. Microbiol. Biotechnol., 28(1): 361-370.
  • Kanokratana, P., Uengwetwanit, T., Rattanachomsri, U., Bunterngsook, B., Nimchua, T., Tangphatsornruang, S., Plengvidhya, V., Champreda, V. and Eurwilaichitr, L. (2011). Insights into the phylogeny and metabolic potential of a primary tropical peat swamp forest microbial community by metagenomic analysis. Microbial. Ecol., 61(3): 518-528.
  • Kerekes, J., Kaspari, M., Stevenson, B., Nilsson, R.H., Hartmann, M., Amend, A. and Bruns, T.D. (2013). Nutrient enrichment increased species richness of leaf litter fungal assemblages in a tropical forest.Molecular Ecol., 22(10): 2827-2838.
  • Lee, S.W., Won, K., Lim, H.K., Kim, J.C., Choi, G.J., and Cho, K.Y. (2004). Screening for novel lipolytic enzymes from uncultured soil microorganisms. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol., 65(6): 720-726.
  • Lee, S.W. (2015). Forest soil metagenomics. Encyclopedia of Metagenomics: Environmental Metagenomics, pp.190-194.
  • Lim, H.K., Chung, E.J., Kim, J.C., Choi, G.J., Jang, K.S., Chung, Y.R., Cho, K.Y. and Lee, S.W. (2005). Characterization of a forest soil metagenome clone that confers indirubin and indigo production on Escherichia coli. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol., 71(12): 7768-7777.
  • Lin, Y.T., Hu, H.W., Whitman, W.B., Coleman, D.C. and Chiu, C.Y. (2014). Comparison of soil bacterial communities in a natural hardwood forest and coniferous plantations in perhumid subtropical low mountains. Botanical Studies, 55(1) : 50.
  • McGuire, K.L., Fierer, N., Bateman, C., Treseder, K.K. and Turner, B.L. (2012). Fungal community composition in neotropical rain forests: the influence of tree diversity and precipitation. Microbial Ecol., 63(4): 804-812.
  • Miyashita, N.T., Iwanaga, H., Charles, S., Diway, B., Sabang, J. and Chong, L. (2013). Soil bacterial community structure in five tropical forests in Malaysia and one temperate forest in Japan revealed by pyrosequencing analyses of 16S rRNA gene sequence variation. Genes Genetic Sys, 88(2) : 93-103.
  • Montana, J.S., Jimenez, D.J., Hernandez, M., Angel, T. and Baena, S. (2012). Taxonomic and functional assignment of cloned sequences from high Andean forest soil metagenome. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, 101(2): 205-215.
  • Nacke, H., Thurmer, A., Wollherr, A., Will, C., Hodac, L., Herold, N., Schoning, I., Schrumpf, M. and Daniel, R. (2011). Pyrosequencing-based assessment of bacterial community structure along different management types in German forest and grassland soils. PloS one, 6(2) : p.e17000.
  • Oulas, A., Pavloudi, C., Polymenakou, P., Pavlopoulos, G.A., Papanikolaou, N., Kotoulas, G., Arvanitidis, C. and Iliopoulos, I. (2015). Metagenomics: tools and insights for analyzing next-generation sequencing data derived from biodiversity studies. Bioinform. Biol. Insights, 9:75.
  • Patwardhan, A., Ray, S. and Roy, A. (2014). Molecular markers in phylogenetic studies-A Review. J Phylogene Evolution Biol., 2 : 131.
  • Peay, K.G., Baraloto, C. and Fine, P.V. (2013). Strong coupling of plant and fungal community structure across western Amazonian rainforests. The ISME J., 7(9): 1852-1861.
  • Ross-Davis, A.L., Stewart, J.E., Hanna, J.W., Shaw, J.D., Hudak, A.T., Jain, T.B., Denner, R.J., Graham, R.T., Page-Dumroese, D.S., Tirocke, J.M. and Kim, M.S. (2014). Forest soil microbial communities: Using metagenomic approaches to survey permanent plots.
  • Sabree, Z.L., Bergendahl, V., Liles, M.R., Burgess, R.R., Goodman, R.M. and Handelsman, J. (2006). Identification and characterization of the gene encoding the Acidobacteriumcapsulatum major sigma factor. Gene, 376(1) : 144-151.
  • Schneider, T., Keiblinger, K.M. and Schmid, E. (2012). Who is who in litter decomposition? Metaproteomics reveals major microbial players and their biogeochemical functions. The ISME J., 6: 1749–1762.
  • Shokralla, S., Spall, J.L., Gibson, J.F. and Hajibabaei, M. (2012). Next generation sequencing technologies for environmental DNA research. Molecular Ecol., 21(8): 1794-1805.
  • Torsvik, V., Ovreas, L. and Thingstad, T.F. (2002). Prokaryotic diversity—magnitude, dynamics, and controlling factors. Sci., 296(5570): 1064-1066.

Abstract Views: 200

PDF Views: 0




  • Metagenomics Approach in Forest Ecosystem

Abstract Views: 200  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

Satyabrata Nayak
Department of Tree Physiology and Breeding, College of Forestry, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara, Thrissur (Kerala), India

Abstract


Forest ecosystems come under some of the most complex microbial community on Earth. Forest soil is an assemblage of archaea, bacteria, fungi, and protists, who play a crucial role in biogeochemical cycles. The soil ecology, biogeochemistry, microbial community structure serves as an indicator of forest ecosystem status, energy flow pattern and soil productivity. But it is difficult to determine the microbial composition, diversity and variability of forest soil as about 99.5% of micro-organisms cannot be cultured and grown in laboratory condition. Metagenomics is a culture-independent genomic analysis of microorganisms, directly obtained from the environment and can be used to tackle such problems which are assisted by rRNA universal markers, next-generation sequencing techniques, and bioinformatics tools. Attempts have been made by scientists to explore the forest microbiomes through metagenomics approach have been reviewed in this article. Metagenomics analysis has been carried out in various type of forest soils to access the microbial genetic resources and to know the phylogenetic diversity and abundance of a particular forest type, which helps in understanding their role in the forest ecosystem. As per the future line of work, it is needed to apply metagenomics in accumulating information across diverse forest habitat types which will help in better understanding the role of micro-organisms in the forest ecosystem, how they are helpful against different abiotic stresses, diseases, and other ecosystem functions.

Keywords


Metagenomics, Next-Generation Sequencing, Bioinformatics Tools, Forest Ecosystem.

References