The Salinity Survival Strategy of <i>Chenopodium quinoa</i>: Investigating Microbial Community Shifts and Nitrogen Cycling in Saline Soils
Quinoa is extensively cultivated for its nutritional value, and its exceptional capacity to endure elevated salt levels presents a promising resolution to the agricultural quandaries posed by salinity stress. However, limited research has been dedicated to elucidating the correlation between alterat...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-11-01
|
| Series: | Microorganisms |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/11/12/2829 |
| _version_ | 1797379970555707392 |
|---|---|
| author | Xuli Zhao Tianzhu Meng Shenghan Jin Kaixing Ren Zhe Cai Bo Cai Saibao Li |
| author_facet | Xuli Zhao Tianzhu Meng Shenghan Jin Kaixing Ren Zhe Cai Bo Cai Saibao Li |
| author_sort | Xuli Zhao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Quinoa is extensively cultivated for its nutritional value, and its exceptional capacity to endure elevated salt levels presents a promising resolution to the agricultural quandaries posed by salinity stress. However, limited research has been dedicated to elucidating the correlation between alterations in the salinity soil microbial community and nitrogen transformations. To scrutinize the underlying mechanisms behind quinoa’s salt tolerance, we assessed the changes in microbial community structure and the abundance of nitrogen transformation genes across three distinct salinity thresholds (1 g·kg<sup>−1</sup>, 3 g·kg<sup>−1</sup>, and 6 g·kg<sup>−1</sup>) at two distinct time points (35 and 70 days). The results showed the positive effect of quinoa on the soil microbial community structure, including changes in key populations and its regulatory role in soil nitrogen cycling under salt stress. <i>Choroflexi</i>, <i>Acidobacteriota</i>, and <i>Myxococcota</i> were inhibited by increased salinity, while the relative abundance of <i>Bacteroidota</i> increased. <i>Proteobacteria</i> and <i>Actinobacteria</i> showed relatively stable abundances across time and salinity levels. Quinoa possesses the ability to synthesize or modify the composition of keystone species or promote the establishment of highly complex microbial networks (modularity index > 0.4) to cope with fluctuations in external salt stress environments. Furthermore, quinoa exhibited nitrogen (N) cycling by downregulating denitrification genes (<i>nirS</i>, <i>nosZ</i>), upregulating nitrification genes (Archaeal <i>amoA</i> (AOA), Bacterial <i>amoA</i> (AOB)), and stabilizing nitrogen fixation genes (<i>nifH</i>) to absorb nitrate–nitrogen (NO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup>_N). This study paves the way for future research on regulating quinoa, promoting soil microbial communities, and nitrogen transformation in saline environments. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:31:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-302f368a6c4142f6a8579c4f86805e80 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2607 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:31:43Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microorganisms |
| spelling | doaj.art-302f368a6c4142f6a8579c4f86805e802023-12-22T14:25:36ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072023-11-011112282910.3390/microorganisms11122829The Salinity Survival Strategy of <i>Chenopodium quinoa</i>: Investigating Microbial Community Shifts and Nitrogen Cycling in Saline SoilsXuli Zhao0Tianzhu Meng1Shenghan Jin2Kaixing Ren3Zhe Cai4Bo Cai5Saibao Li6College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, No. 8 Focheng West Road, Nanjing 211100, ChinaCollege of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, No. 8 Focheng West Road, Nanjing 211100, ChinaCollege of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, No. 8 Focheng West Road, Nanjing 211100, ChinaCollege of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, No. 8 Focheng West Road, Nanjing 211100, ChinaCollege of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, No. 8 Focheng West Road, Nanjing 211100, ChinaCollege of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, No. 8 Focheng West Road, Nanjing 211100, ChinaCollege of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, No. 8 Xueyuan Road, Linzhi 860000, ChinaQuinoa is extensively cultivated for its nutritional value, and its exceptional capacity to endure elevated salt levels presents a promising resolution to the agricultural quandaries posed by salinity stress. However, limited research has been dedicated to elucidating the correlation between alterations in the salinity soil microbial community and nitrogen transformations. To scrutinize the underlying mechanisms behind quinoa’s salt tolerance, we assessed the changes in microbial community structure and the abundance of nitrogen transformation genes across three distinct salinity thresholds (1 g·kg<sup>−1</sup>, 3 g·kg<sup>−1</sup>, and 6 g·kg<sup>−1</sup>) at two distinct time points (35 and 70 days). The results showed the positive effect of quinoa on the soil microbial community structure, including changes in key populations and its regulatory role in soil nitrogen cycling under salt stress. <i>Choroflexi</i>, <i>Acidobacteriota</i>, and <i>Myxococcota</i> were inhibited by increased salinity, while the relative abundance of <i>Bacteroidota</i> increased. <i>Proteobacteria</i> and <i>Actinobacteria</i> showed relatively stable abundances across time and salinity levels. Quinoa possesses the ability to synthesize or modify the composition of keystone species or promote the establishment of highly complex microbial networks (modularity index > 0.4) to cope with fluctuations in external salt stress environments. Furthermore, quinoa exhibited nitrogen (N) cycling by downregulating denitrification genes (<i>nirS</i>, <i>nosZ</i>), upregulating nitrification genes (Archaeal <i>amoA</i> (AOA), Bacterial <i>amoA</i> (AOB)), and stabilizing nitrogen fixation genes (<i>nifH</i>) to absorb nitrate–nitrogen (NO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup>_N). This study paves the way for future research on regulating quinoa, promoting soil microbial communities, and nitrogen transformation in saline environments.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/11/12/2829<i>Chenopodium quinoa</i>saline soilsmicrobial communitynitrogen transformationssalt tolerance |
| spellingShingle | Xuli Zhao Tianzhu Meng Shenghan Jin Kaixing Ren Zhe Cai Bo Cai Saibao Li The Salinity Survival Strategy of <i>Chenopodium quinoa</i>: Investigating Microbial Community Shifts and Nitrogen Cycling in Saline Soils Microorganisms <i>Chenopodium quinoa</i> saline soils microbial community nitrogen transformations salt tolerance |
| title | The Salinity Survival Strategy of <i>Chenopodium quinoa</i>: Investigating Microbial Community Shifts and Nitrogen Cycling in Saline Soils |
| title_full | The Salinity Survival Strategy of <i>Chenopodium quinoa</i>: Investigating Microbial Community Shifts and Nitrogen Cycling in Saline Soils |
| title_fullStr | The Salinity Survival Strategy of <i>Chenopodium quinoa</i>: Investigating Microbial Community Shifts and Nitrogen Cycling in Saline Soils |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Salinity Survival Strategy of <i>Chenopodium quinoa</i>: Investigating Microbial Community Shifts and Nitrogen Cycling in Saline Soils |
| title_short | The Salinity Survival Strategy of <i>Chenopodium quinoa</i>: Investigating Microbial Community Shifts and Nitrogen Cycling in Saline Soils |
| title_sort | salinity survival strategy of i chenopodium quinoa i investigating microbial community shifts and nitrogen cycling in saline soils |
| topic | <i>Chenopodium quinoa</i> saline soils microbial community nitrogen transformations salt tolerance |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/11/12/2829 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT xulizhao thesalinitysurvivalstrategyofichenopodiumquinoaiinvestigatingmicrobialcommunityshiftsandnitrogencyclinginsalinesoils AT tianzhumeng thesalinitysurvivalstrategyofichenopodiumquinoaiinvestigatingmicrobialcommunityshiftsandnitrogencyclinginsalinesoils AT shenghanjin thesalinitysurvivalstrategyofichenopodiumquinoaiinvestigatingmicrobialcommunityshiftsandnitrogencyclinginsalinesoils AT kaixingren thesalinitysurvivalstrategyofichenopodiumquinoaiinvestigatingmicrobialcommunityshiftsandnitrogencyclinginsalinesoils AT zhecai thesalinitysurvivalstrategyofichenopodiumquinoaiinvestigatingmicrobialcommunityshiftsandnitrogencyclinginsalinesoils AT bocai thesalinitysurvivalstrategyofichenopodiumquinoaiinvestigatingmicrobialcommunityshiftsandnitrogencyclinginsalinesoils AT saibaoli thesalinitysurvivalstrategyofichenopodiumquinoaiinvestigatingmicrobialcommunityshiftsandnitrogencyclinginsalinesoils AT xulizhao salinitysurvivalstrategyofichenopodiumquinoaiinvestigatingmicrobialcommunityshiftsandnitrogencyclinginsalinesoils AT tianzhumeng salinitysurvivalstrategyofichenopodiumquinoaiinvestigatingmicrobialcommunityshiftsandnitrogencyclinginsalinesoils AT shenghanjin salinitysurvivalstrategyofichenopodiumquinoaiinvestigatingmicrobialcommunityshiftsandnitrogencyclinginsalinesoils AT kaixingren salinitysurvivalstrategyofichenopodiumquinoaiinvestigatingmicrobialcommunityshiftsandnitrogencyclinginsalinesoils AT zhecai salinitysurvivalstrategyofichenopodiumquinoaiinvestigatingmicrobialcommunityshiftsandnitrogencyclinginsalinesoils AT bocai salinitysurvivalstrategyofichenopodiumquinoaiinvestigatingmicrobialcommunityshiftsandnitrogencyclinginsalinesoils AT saibaoli salinitysurvivalstrategyofichenopodiumquinoaiinvestigatingmicrobialcommunityshiftsandnitrogencyclinginsalinesoils |