Phosphorus limitation in a Ferralsol: Impact on microbial activity and cell internal P pools

Soil microorganisms are key regulators of the biogeochemical phosphorus (P) cycle. Microbial P limitation in highly weathered tropical soils has been reported, but whether it affects the cellular P content of indigenous soil microorganisms and its biochemical composition is unknown. We investigated the effect of microbial P limitation by measuring respiration, microbial growth, community composition and P content of microbial cells in a Ferralsol with low amounts of available P as affected by amendments with C substrates with ample nitrogen (CN) with and without extra phosphate (P). Microbial biomass and community composition were quantified by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analyses. Cellular P content and P pools (PLFA, DNA and RNA per cell) were determined after extraction of microbial cells from soil by density gradient centrifugation. The apparent microbial growth rate during exponential increase in respiration rates in response to CNP addition was 0.072 h−1, compared to 0.017 h−1 for the CN amendment (no extra P added). This suggests that the microbial growth after a combined C and N addition was retarded by P limitation in the native soil (without added P). The net increase in microbial biomass, however, reached similar levels for both the CN and CNP treatment (measured at the point in time when respiration rates peaked). This outcome was unexpected since maximum respiration rates were about three times higher in the CNP compared to the CN treatment. Total P in extracted cells ranged from 2.1 to 8.9 fg P cell−1 (microscopic counts), with a tendency for lower values for treatments without C amendments. Only 10–25% of the measured total P in extracted cells was accounted for by the measured RNA, DNA and PLFA. This low percentage could partly be due to underestimation of the RNA pool (degradation during extraction). PLFA analyses showed that substrate induced growth, regardless of P addition, led to a change in microbial community composition and was dominated by fungi. The extraction of microbial cells from soil by density gradient centrifugation, however, discriminates against fungi. Accordingly, the extracted cells were not fully representative for the entire soil microbiota regarding the community composition and metabolic state. Nevertheless, for the first time microbial cell P content and P pools are reported for microorganisms that actually grew in soil and not in chemostat or batch cultures.