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Responses of endophytic and rhizospheric bacterial communities of salt marsh plant (Spartina alterniflora) to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons contamination

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Abstract

Purpose

Plants and their root-associated microbes play important roles in the remediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present in the sediments of contaminated coastal wetlands. The detailed information about the effects of PAHs on root-associated bacterial communities could help to isolate PAH-degrading bacteria and optimize the process of phytoremediation.

Materials and methods

The community structures of rhizospheric (RB) and endophytic bacteria (EB) of salt marsh plant (Spartina alterniflora) grown in phenanthrene (PHE)- and pyrene (PYR)-contaminated sediments (for 70 days) were investigated using the barcoded Illumina paired-end sequencing technique.

Results and discussion

The diversity and community structure of EB and RB were more sensitive to PHE and PYR contamination as compared to those in the sediments. All samples were strongly clustered according to EB, RB, and sediments, suggesting the niche-specific influence of PAHs on bacterial communities. Potential PAH-degrading bacteria (Pseudomonas sp., Paenibacillus sp., and Flavobacterium sp.) in EB and RB were stimulated by PAH contamination. The results revealed an increase prevalence of specific bacteria which may be responsible for PAH degradation. PHE contamination increased the abundance of Proteobacteria in EB but decreased the number of Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Chloroflexi. The numbers of Proteobacteria and Firmicutes in EB were enhanced by PYR treatment. However, both PHE and PYR treatment showed similar effects on the bacterial communities in RB.

Conclusions

The results suggested that PAH pollution could alter root-associated bacterial communities of S. alterniflora, whose EB might play an important role in the phytoremediation of PAH-contaminated sediments.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.41006064), the Natural Science Foundation of Ningbo Municipality (NO. 2014A610100), the Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province (No. 2012J05081), and the State Scholarships Foundation (No.201304910080). We also thank Professor Shen Yu, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, for his valuable comments and Dr. Yongshan Chen for collection of samples.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, China

    Jianqiang Su, Weiying Ouyang, Youwei Hong & Hu Li

  2. Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA

    Youwei Hong

  3. Southern California Coast Water Research Project, Costa Mesa, CA, 92626, USA

    Youwei Hong

  4. Xiamen Huaxia University, Xiamen, 361024, China

    Dan Liao

  5. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Weiying Ouyang & Hu Li

  6. Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, 25120, Pakistan

    Sardar Khan

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  1. Jianqiang Su
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  2. Weiying Ouyang
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  3. Youwei Hong
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  4. Dan Liao
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  5. Sardar Khan
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  6. Hu Li
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Correspondence to Youwei Hong.

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Responsible editor: John R. Lawrence

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Su, J., Ouyang, W., Hong, Y. et al. Responses of endophytic and rhizospheric bacterial communities of salt marsh plant (Spartina alterniflora) to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons contamination. J Soils Sediments 16, 707–715 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-015-1217-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-015-1217-0

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