The Mineralosphere Concept: Mineralogical Control of the Distribution and Function of Mineral-associated Bacterial Communities

Soil is composed of a mosaic of different rocks and minerals, usually considered as an inert substrata for microbial colonization. However, recent findings suggest that minerals, in soils and elsewhere, favour the development of specific microbial communities according to their mineralogy, nutritive...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Trends in microbiology (Regular ed.) 2015-12, Vol.23 (12), p.751-762
Main Authors: Uroz, Stephane, Kelly, Laura Catherine, Turpault, Marie-Pierre, Lepleux, Cendrella, Frey-Klett, Pascale
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bacteria
Bacteria - genetics
Bacteria - growth & development
Biodiversity
Chemical Phenomena
Ecosystem
forest soil
Forests
Gene Expression
Internal Medicine
Life Sciences
microbial habitat
mineral chemistry
mineral weatherability
mineral weathering
Minerals - analysis
Minerals - chemistry
nutrient cycling
Phylogeny
Rhizosphere
Soil - chemistry
Soil Microbiology
Weather
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Summary:Soil is composed of a mosaic of different rocks and minerals, usually considered as an inert substrata for microbial colonization. However, recent findings suggest that minerals, in soils and elsewhere, favour the development of specific microbial communities according to their mineralogy, nutritive content, and weatherability. Based upon recent studies, we highlight how bacterial communities are distributed on the surface of, and in close proximity to, minerals. We also consider the potential role of the mineral-associated bacterial communities in mineral weathering and nutrient cycling in soils, with a specific focus on nutrient-poor and acidic forest ecosystems. We propose to define this microbial habitat as the mineralosphere, where key drivers of the microbial communities are the physicochemical properties of the minerals.
ISSN:0966-842X
1878-4380
DOI:10.1016/j.tim.2015.10.004