Bioavailability as a Microbial System Property: Lessons Learned from Biodegradation in the Mycosphere

Bioavailability for contaminant degradation requires a deep understanding of the ecology of degrader microbial systems. It hence should be perceived as a microbial systems property. In this chapter we summarize recent research on microbial ecology of cont

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Contents 1 Bioavailability and Contaminant Degrading Microbial Systems 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Bioavailability as a Driver of Biodegradation 1.3 Microbial System Properties as Drivers of Bioavailability 2 Traits of Mycelial Fungi Relevant for Contaminant Biodegradation 2.1 Fungi Are Ubiquitous and Also Present in Contaminated Habitats 2.2 Fungi Have a Broad Catabolic Potential and Decouple Contaminant Transformation from Biomass Formation 2.3 Fungi Adapt Well to Habitat Heterogeneity and Create Suitable Niches for Contaminant Biodegradation 3 Linking Mycosphere Traits and Processes to Bottlenecks of Contaminant Bioavailability 3.1 Bottleneck 1: Availability to Degrader 3.2 Bottleneck 2: Activity and Abundance of Degraders 3.3 Bottleneck 3: Functional Stability and Diversity of Degrader 4 Lessons Learned: Contaminant Bioavailability Stretches over Various Organizational Levels and Requires Deep Understanding of the Ecology of Degrader Microbial Systems References

Abstract Bioavailability for contaminant degradation requires a deep understanding of the ecology of degrader microbial systems. It hence should be perceived as a microbial systems property. In this chapter we summarize recent research on microbial ecology of contaminant biodegradation in the mycosphere (i.e., the microhabitat surrounding and affected by mycelia). By forming unique transport networks, mycelial fungi are highly adapted to cope with complex heterogeneous habitats and to grow under conditions of uneven availability of their vital resources.

L. Y. Wick (*) Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research UFZ, Department of Environmental Microbiology, Leipzig, Germany e-mail: [email protected] Jose Julio Ortega-Calvo and John Robert Parsons (eds.), Bioavailability of Organic Chemicals in Soil and Sediment, Hdb Env Chem, DOI 10.1007/698_2020_568, © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020

L. Y. Wick

Combining concepts from bioavailability, ecophysiology, and microbial ecology, our chapter discusses the impact of fungal networks on chemical and bacterial transport and their effects on contaminant bioavailability and degradation. It thereby provides generic information on key factors, processes, and ecological principles that drive contaminant biotransformation in the mycosphere. Keywords Biodegradation, Ecology, Fungal-bacterial interactions, Microbial systems, Mycosphere

1 Bioavailability and Contaminant Degrading Microbial Systems 1.1

Introduction

Being main drivers of biogeochemical cycles, microbial systems [1] are also key to the degradation of environmental contaminants. Rate and extent of degradation, however, depend on the molecular property, the availability of the chemical to degrading organisms [2–4], and the environmental conditions that sustain the activity and abundance of degrader biomass. After anthropogenic release, contaminants typically end up in terrestrial systems, i.e., important ecosystems for biogeochemical nutrient cycling by fungi and bacteria [5]. The fungal kingdom comprises a vast diversity of taxa expressing various morpho