Melanization slows the rapid movement of fungal necromass carbon and nitrogen into both bacterial and fungal decomposer communities and soils

作者：François Maillard, Talia J. Michaud, Craig R. See, Lang C. DeLancey, Steven J. Blazewicz, Jeffrey A. Kimbrel, Jennifer Pett‐Ridge, Peter G. Kennedy · 发表于：mSystems · 年份：2023 · DOI：10.1128/msystems.00390-23 · 被引用次数：43 · 研究领域：Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions、Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies、Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology

ABSTRACT Microbial necromass contributes significantly to both soil carbon (C) persistence and ecosystem nitrogen (N) availability, but quantitative estimates of C and N movement from necromass into soils and decomposer communities are lacking. Additionally, while melanin is known to slow fungal necromass decomposition, how it influences microbial C and N acquisition as well as elemental release into soils remains unclear. Here, we tracked decomposition of isotopically labeled low and high melanin fungal necromass and measured 13 C and 15 N accumulation in surrounding soils and microbial communities over 77 d in a temperate forest in Minnesota, USA. Mass loss was significantly higher from low melanin necromass, corresponding with greater 13 C and 15 N soil inputs. A taxonomically and functionally diverse array of bacteria and fungi was enriched in 13 C and/or 15 N at all sampling points, with enrichment being consistently higher on low melanin necromass and earlier in decomposition. Similar patterns of preferential C and N enrichment of many bacterial and fungal genera early in decomposition suggest that both microbial groups co-contribute to the rapid assimilation of resource-rich soil organic matter inputs. While overall richness of taxa enriched in C was higher than in N for both bacteria and fungi, there was a significant positive relationship between C and N in co-enriched taxa. Collectively, our results demonstrate that melanization acts as a key ecological trait mediat...