Community-level responses of metabolically-active soil microorganisms to the quantity and quality of substrate inputs

The community fingerprints of both the prevalent and the metabolically active microbial community were related to a quantitative estimation of microbial biomass in an arable soil, revealed by substrate-induced-respiration (SIR). Two concentrations of glucose or l-asparagine, representing those used in the SIR measurement or equivalent to those released in root exudates, were studied. Respiration rates and changes in community structure fingerprints were followed for 48 h. Bacterial and fungal community fingerprints were obtained using both reverse transcribed 16S and 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) regions and the corresponding rDNA as a template in PCR. Samples were then analysed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Low concentrations of substrate amendments resulted in minor changes in rRNA or rDNA-based bacterial and fungal banding patterns during the whole 48 h incubation. High concentrations of substrates, especially l-asparagine, increased respiration rates and induced significant changes in both 16S rRNA and rDNA-community fingerprints. The prominent rRNA and rDNA bacterial community sequence types were common to all treatments, but in general the bacterial rDNA fingerprints had fewer bands than the corresponding rRNA profiles that assess the active fraction of the community. In contrast, there was little difference between fungal 18S rRNA and rDNA patterns. The number of fungal ribosomal sequence types in DGGE fingerprints was lower than the number of bacterial types. This study indicated that there was a rapid respiration response by the whole microbial community during SIR estimates in soil, but that community structure did not change during the conventional incubation period. In an extended (8–48 h) incubation with high amounts of l-asparagine increased respiration was associated with growth of the microbial community.