Bacterial and fungal growth on fungal necromass and its diverse components: Shared profiles and divergent constraints revealed by high‐throughput phenotyping

Narayanan, Achala; Maillard, François; Beatty, Briana H.; Novak, Jessica K.; Gardner, Jeffrey G.; Schilling, Jonathan S.; Pett‐Ridge, Jennifer; Kennedy, Peter G.

doi:10.1111/1365-2435.70128

Bacterial and fungal growth on fungal necromass and its diverse components: Shared profiles and divergent constraints revealed by high‐throughput phenotyping

Journal Article · Thu Jul 31 00:00:00 EDT 2025 · Functional Ecology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.70128· OSTI ID:2997205

^[1]; Maillard, François ^[2]; Beatty, Briana H. ^[1]; Novak, Jessica K. ^[3]; Gardner, Jeffrey G. ^[3]; Schilling, Jonathan S. ^[1]; Pett‐Ridge, Jennifer ^[4]; ^[2]

University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN (United States)
Lund University (Sweden)
University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), Baltimore, MD (United States)
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); University of California, Merced, CA (United States); University of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

1. While fungal necromass is increasingly recognized as a major source of persistent carbon (C) in soils, the relative functional roles of bacteria and fungi in decomposing necromass are not fully resolved, and the processes that select for necromass decomposer communities from the broader soil microbial community are an emerging area of interest. 2. In this study, we characterized the growth of 52 bacterial and 83 fungal strains isolated from necromass and soil on 22 C substrates, including different necromass phenotypes, fungal cell wall polymers, dimers and monomers. 3. We found that the isolation habitat of the strains used in this experiment (necromass vs. soil) had no effect on the substrates they were able to use. Isolates from both microbial domains were able to grow on different labile carbon substrates, polymers and necromass phenotypes. However, fungal growth was most limited by necromass melanin content, while bacterial growth was more limited by the abundance of cell wall polysaccharides. Additionally, overall differences in substrate use between bacteria and fungi were most pronounced on polymer substrates. 4. Collectively, our results suggest that there is substantial functional overlap in necromass substrate use across microbial domains, but some notable differences in bacterial and fungal utilization of cell wall polymers, which can function as a direct energy source or a means of accessing other compounds within necromass. Future studies assessing bacteria and fungi decomposing necromass together rather than in isolation will help to uncover potential physical and chemical interactions within and between these two domains during the decay of this important source of persistent soil C.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC52-07NA27344

OSTI ID:: 2997205

Report Number(s):: LLNL--JRNL-2007222

Journal Information:: Functional Ecology, Journal Name: Functional Ecology Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 39; ISSN 1365-2435; ISSN 0269-8463

Publisher:: WileyCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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