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Carl Troein

Researcher

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Elucidating fungal decomposition of organic matter at sub-micrometer spatial scales using optical photothermal infrared (O-PTIR) microspectroscopy

Author

  • Michiel Op De Beeck
  • Carl Troein
  • Carsten Peterson
  • Anders Tunlid
  • Per Persson

Summary, in English

In microbiological studies, a common goal is to link environmental factors to microbial activities. Both environmental factors and microbial activities are typically derived from bulk samples. It is becoming increasingly clear that such bulk environmental parameters poorly represent the microscale environments microorganisms experience. Using infrared (IR) microspectroscopy, the spatial distribution of chemical compound classes can be visualized, making it a useful tool for studying the interactions between microbial cells and their microenvironments. The spatial resolution of conventional IR microspectroscopy has been limited by the diffractionlimit of IR light. The recent development of optical photothermal infrared (O-PTIR) microspectroscopy has pushed the spatial resolution of IR microspectroscopy beyond this diffractionlimit, allowing the distribution of chemical compound classes to be visualized at sub-micrometer spatial scales. To examine the potential and limitations of O-PTIR microspectroscopy to probe the interactions between fungal cells and their immediate environments, we imaged the decomposition of cellulose filmsby cells of the ectomycorrhizal fungus Paxillus involutus and compared O-PTIR results using conventional IR microspectroscopy. Whereas the data collected with conventional IR microspectroscopy indicated that P. involutus has only a very limited ability to decompose cellulose films,O-PTIR data suggested that the ability of P. involutus to decompose cellulose was substantial. Moreover, the O-PTIR method enabled the identificationof a zone located outside the fungal hyphae where the cellulose was decomposed by oxidation. We conclude that O-PTIR can provide valuable new insights into the abilities and mechanisms by which microorganisms interact with their surrounding environments.

Department/s

  • Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC)
  • BECC: Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate
  • Computational Science for Health and Environment
  • MEMEG
  • Microbial Ecology

Publishing year

2024-02

Language

English

Publication/Series

Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Volume

90

Issue

2

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

American Society for Microbiology

Topic

  • Soil Science

Keywords

  • cellulose
  • decomposition
  • infrared microspectroscopy
  • microenvironment
  • microorganism
  • organic matter

Status

Published

Research group

  • Computational Science for Health and Environment
  • Microbial Ecology

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 0099-2240