Survival and rapid resuscitation permit limited productivity in desert microbial communities

Stefanie Imminger, Dimitri V. Meier, Arno Schintlmeister, Anton Legin, Jörg Schnecker, Andreas Richter, Osnat Gillor, Stephanie A. Eichorst and Dagmar Woebken ()
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Stefanie Imminger: Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna
Dimitri V. Meier: Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna
Arno Schintlmeister: Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna
Anton Legin: Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Vienna
Jörg Schnecker: Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna
Andreas Richter: Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna
Osnat Gillor: Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben Gurion University of the Negev
Stephanie A. Eichorst: Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna
Dagmar Woebken: Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-17

Abstract: Abstract Microbial activity in drylands tends to be confined to rare and short periods of rain. Rapid growth should be key to the maintenance of ecosystem processes in such narrow activity windows, if desiccation and rehydration cause widespread cell death due to osmotic stress. Here, simulating rain with 2H2O followed by single-cell NanoSIMS, we show that biocrust microbial communities in the Negev Desert are characterized by limited productivity, with median replication times of 6 to 19 days and restricted number of days allowing growth. Genome-resolved metatranscriptomics reveals that nearly all microbial populations resuscitate within minutes after simulated rain, independent of taxonomy, and invest their activity into repair and energy generation. Together, our data reveal a community that makes optimal use of short activity phases by fast and universal resuscitation enabling the maintenance of key ecosystem functions. We conclude that desert biocrust communities are highly adapted to surviving rapid changes in soil moisture and solute concentrations, resulting in high persistence that balances limited productivity.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46920-6

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