Profiling of PLFA: Implications for nonlinear spatial gradient of PCP degradation in the vicinity of Lolium perenne L. roots

An investigation was conducted using phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) profiles to follow the spatial response of the microbial community at the millimeter scale with the purpose of illustrating the mechanism of nonlinear spatial dependence of PCP degradation on the distance from the root surface in the rhizosphere of Lolium perenne L. A laminar rhizobox was designed to allow the harvest of intact layers of root compartment, near-(1, 2, 3, 4, 5 mm) and far-(>5 mm) rhizosphere soil from root surfaces without the removal of the root material itself. Lolium perenne L. was grown in environmental chambers for 53 days with soil spiked with 8.7 and 18 mg kg−1 PCP. PLFA profiles were found to be affected by the distance from the rhizosphere, indicating a distance-dependent selective enrichment of competent species that may be responsible for efficient PCP degradation. In particular, the five fatty acids 16:1ω5, 16:0, i17:0, a17:0 and 10Me18:0 emerged as microbiological biomarkers that may be used for assessing phytoremediation processes of PCP in soil. Their synergistic effects were shown to be most responsive to the nonlinear spatial patterns of PCP degradation in the vicinity of Lolium perenne L. roots. The results suggest that root exudates induced modifications of microbial communities in the PCP contaminated rhizosphere and spatially modified the dominant species within these communities, resulting in the nonlinear PCP degradation pattern.