AUTHOR=Lin Yuhu , Fang Ling , Chen Hao , Sun Xudong , He Yunxiao , Duan Baoli , Li Rui , Cao Chuntao , Chen Juan 

TITLE=Sex-specific competition differently regulates the response of the rhizosphere fungal community of Hippophae rhamnoides–A dioecious plant, under Mn stress

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=Volume 14 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1102904

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2023.1102904

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=In this study, we investigated the soil physicochemical parameters and responses of rhizospheric fungal communities of Hippophae rhamnoides females and males to Manganese (Mn) stress under different sexual competition patterns. The results showed that competition significantly affects soil physicochemical properties, enzyme activity, and rhizosphere-associated fungal community structures. Under Mn stress, soils with intersexual competition had higher levels of N supply than those with the intrasexual competition, while fungal communities under intersexual interaction were more positively to Mn stress than intrasexual interaction. Under intrasexual competition, females had higher total phosphorus content, neutral phosphatase activity, and relative abundance of symbiotic fungi in soils to obtain phosphorus nutrients to alleviate Mn stress. In contrast, males had relatively stable fungal communities in soils. In the intersexual competition, rhizosphere fungal diversity and relative abundance of saprophytic fungi in males were significantly higher than in females under Mn stress. In addition, females showed greater plasticity in the response of rhizosphere microorganisms to their neighbors of different sexes. The microbial composition in soils of females varied more than males between intrasexual and intersexual competition. These results indicated that sex-specific competition and neighbor effects regulate the microbial community structure and function of dioecious plants under heavy metal stress, which might affect nutrient cycling and phytoremediation potential in heavy metal-contaminated soils.