Abstract
Although microorganisms coexist in the same environment, it is still unclear how their interaction regulates ecosystem functioning. Using a methanotroph as a model microorganism, we determined how methane oxidation responds to heterotroph diversity. Artificial communities comprising of a methanotroph and increasing heterotroph richness, while holding equal starting cell numbers were assembled. We considered methane oxidation rate as a functional response variable. Our results showed a significant increase of methane oxidation with increasing heterotroph richness, suggesting a complex interaction in the cocultures leading to a stimulation of methanotrophic activity. Therefore, not only is the methanotroph diversity directly correlated to methanotrophic activity for some methanotroph groups as shown before, but also the richness of heterotroph interacting partners is relevant to enhance methane oxidation too. In this unprecedented study, we provide direct evidence showing how heterotroph richness exerts a response in methanotroph–heterotroph interaction, resulting in increased methanotrophic activity. Our study has broad implications in how methanotroph and heterotroph interact to regulate methane oxidation, and is particularly relevant in methane-driven ecosystems.
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Acknowledgements
We extend our gratitude to Professor Peter Frenzel (Max-Planck Institute, Marburg) for fruitful discussions. This work was supported by the Flemish Fund for Scientific research (FWO Vlaanderen) grant no. G.0700.10N (to KDR) and FWO11/PDO/084 (to KH), a research grant from the Geconcentreerde Onderzoeksactie (GOA) of Ghent University (BOF09/GOA/005) and the Inter-University Attraction Poles (IUAP) ‘μ-manager’ and ‘StUDyS’ funded by the Belgian Science Policy (BELSPO, P7/25 and P7/06). OT and JDN acknowledge the N2N Multidisciplinary Research Partnership project of Ghent University. This publication is Publication no. 5602 of the Netherlands Institute of Ecology.
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Ho, A., de Roy, K., Thas, O. et al. The more, the merrier: heterotroph richness stimulates methanotrophic activity. ISME J 8, 1945–1948 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2014.74
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2014.74
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