Saprotrophic Fungus Induces Microscale Mineral Weathering to Source Potassium in a Carbon-Limited Environment
Plants rely on potassium for many critical biological processes, but most soils are potassium limited. Moving potassium from the inaccessible, mineral-bound pool to a more bioavailable form is crucial for sustainably increasing local potassium concentrations for plant growth and health. Here, we use...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Minerals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/13/5/641 |
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| author | Jocelyn A. Richardson Christopher R. Anderton Arunima Bhattacharjee |
| author_facet | Jocelyn A. Richardson Christopher R. Anderton Arunima Bhattacharjee |
| author_sort | Jocelyn A. Richardson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Plants rely on potassium for many critical biological processes, but most soils are potassium limited. Moving potassium from the inaccessible, mineral-bound pool to a more bioavailable form is crucial for sustainably increasing local potassium concentrations for plant growth and health. Here, we use a synthetic soil habitat (mineral doped micromodels) to study and directly visualize how the saprotrophic fungus, <i>Fusarium</i> sp. <i>DS 682</i>, weathers K-rich soil minerals. After 30 days of fungal growth, both montmorillonite and illite (secondary clays) had formed as surface coatings on primary K-feldspar, biotite, and kaolinite grains. The distribution of montmorillonite differed depending on the proximity to a carbon source, where montmorillonite was found to be associated with K-feldspar closer to the carbon (C) source, which the fungus was inoculated on, but associated with biotite at greater distances from the C source. The distribution of secondary clays is likely due to a change in the type of fungal exuded organic acids; from citric to tartaric acid dominated production with increasing distance from the C source. Thus, the main control on the ability of <i>Fusarium</i> sp. <i>DS 682</i> to weather K-feldspar is proximity to a C source to produce citric acid via the TCA cycle. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T03:27:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4704167fbaa644fbbb63fe1f1e192816 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-163X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T03:27:16Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Minerals |
| spelling | doaj.art-4704167fbaa644fbbb63fe1f1e1928162023-11-18T02:36:29ZengMDPI AGMinerals2075-163X2023-05-0113564110.3390/min13050641Saprotrophic Fungus Induces Microscale Mineral Weathering to Source Potassium in a Carbon-Limited EnvironmentJocelyn A. Richardson0Christopher R. Anderton1Arunima Bhattacharjee2Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USAEnvironmental Molecular Sciences Division, Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354, USAEnvironmental Molecular Sciences Division, Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354, USAPlants rely on potassium for many critical biological processes, but most soils are potassium limited. Moving potassium from the inaccessible, mineral-bound pool to a more bioavailable form is crucial for sustainably increasing local potassium concentrations for plant growth and health. Here, we use a synthetic soil habitat (mineral doped micromodels) to study and directly visualize how the saprotrophic fungus, <i>Fusarium</i> sp. <i>DS 682</i>, weathers K-rich soil minerals. After 30 days of fungal growth, both montmorillonite and illite (secondary clays) had formed as surface coatings on primary K-feldspar, biotite, and kaolinite grains. The distribution of montmorillonite differed depending on the proximity to a carbon source, where montmorillonite was found to be associated with K-feldspar closer to the carbon (C) source, which the fungus was inoculated on, but associated with biotite at greater distances from the C source. The distribution of secondary clays is likely due to a change in the type of fungal exuded organic acids; from citric to tartaric acid dominated production with increasing distance from the C source. Thus, the main control on the ability of <i>Fusarium</i> sp. <i>DS 682</i> to weather K-feldspar is proximity to a C source to produce citric acid via the TCA cycle.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/13/5/641mineral-microbe interactionssimulated soil<i>Fusarium</i>bio-induced mineral transformationsynthetic soil habitatXANES spectroscopy |
| spellingShingle | Jocelyn A. Richardson Christopher R. Anderton Arunima Bhattacharjee Saprotrophic Fungus Induces Microscale Mineral Weathering to Source Potassium in a Carbon-Limited Environment Minerals mineral-microbe interactions simulated soil <i>Fusarium</i> bio-induced mineral transformation synthetic soil habitat XANES spectroscopy |
| title | Saprotrophic Fungus Induces Microscale Mineral Weathering to Source Potassium in a Carbon-Limited Environment |
| title_full | Saprotrophic Fungus Induces Microscale Mineral Weathering to Source Potassium in a Carbon-Limited Environment |
| title_fullStr | Saprotrophic Fungus Induces Microscale Mineral Weathering to Source Potassium in a Carbon-Limited Environment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Saprotrophic Fungus Induces Microscale Mineral Weathering to Source Potassium in a Carbon-Limited Environment |
| title_short | Saprotrophic Fungus Induces Microscale Mineral Weathering to Source Potassium in a Carbon-Limited Environment |
| title_sort | saprotrophic fungus induces microscale mineral weathering to source potassium in a carbon limited environment |
| topic | mineral-microbe interactions simulated soil <i>Fusarium</i> bio-induced mineral transformation synthetic soil habitat XANES spectroscopy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/13/5/641 |
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