Microbial community assembly and metabolic function during mammalian corpse decomposition
Microbial community assembly and metabolic function during mammalian corpse decomposition
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DOI：
10.1126/science.aad2646
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发表时间：
2016-01-08
期刊：
影响因子：
56.9
通讯作者：
Knight, Rob
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Metcalf, Jessica L.;Xu, Zhenjiang Zech;Knight, Rob
脊椎动物尸体分解为大多数陆地生境的营养循环提供了一个重要阶段，但微生物介导的过程却知之甚少。在这里，我们结合深层微生物群落表征、群落水平代谢重建和土壤生物地球化学评估，以了解不同土壤基质上小鼠和人类尸体分解过程中控制微生物群落组装的原理。我们发现了一系列有助于氮循环的细菌和真菌群，以及在可预测的时间尺度上出现的可重复的分解者网络。我们的结果表明，该分解者群落主要来自大块土壤，但关键分解者普遍存在，但丰度较低。土壤类型并不是推动群落发展的主导因素，分解过程具有足够的可重复性，为法医调查提供了新的机会。
Vertebrate corpse decomposition provides an important stage in nutrient cycling in most terrestrial habitats, yet microbially mediated processes are poorly understood. Here we combine deep microbial community characterization, community-level metabolic reconstruction, and soil biogeochemical assessment to understand the principles governing microbial community assembly during decomposition of mouse and human corpses on different soil substrates. We find a suite of bacterial and fungal groups that contribute to nitrogen cycling and a reproducible network of decomposers that emerge on predictable time scales. Our results show that this decomposer community is derived primarily from bulk soil, but key decomposers are ubiquitous in low abundance. Soil type was not a dominant factor driving community development, and the process of decomposition is sufficiently reproducible to offer new opportunities for forensic investigations.