Influences of sample storage and grinding on the extraction of soil amino sugars

Soil amino sugars have been widely used to evaluate the potential roles of microbes in mediating soil carbon(C)cycling and various pretreatment methods were used for its extraction.However,few studies assessed their potential influences on the soil amino sugar extraction.In this study,we investigated the effects of sample storage method and grinding on amino sugar extraction across different climatic zones and land uses.Results showed that the concentrations of soil amino sugars varied greatly among sample pretreatments and their impacts were highly dependent on climatic condition and land use.Specifically,higher concentrations of amino sugars were extracted from field-moist samples than dried samples in subtropical grassland,temperate forest and arable land with no significant differences among storage methods for the samples from subtropical forest,arable land,and temperate grassland.Moreover,grinding improved the extraction efficiency of amino sugars for the dried soils.Due to the reduced extraction concentration in dried soils,field-moist samples were recommended in priority.For the dried soils used for the long-term storage,grinding can be an option to improve the extraction efficiency.Such information will be valuable for reducing the uncertainty and improving the accuracy during the determination of soil amino sugars.

Afforestation with an age-sequence of Mongolian pine plantation promotes soil microbial residue accumulation in the Horqin Sandy Land, China

Land use change affects the balance of organic carbon(C)reserves and the global C cycle.Microbial residues are essential constituents of stable soil organic C(SOC).However,it remains unclear how microbial residue changes over time following afforestation.In this study,16-,23-,52-,and 62-year-old Mongolian pine stands and 16-year-old cropland were studied in the Horqin Sandy Land,China.We analyzed changes in SOC,amino sugar content,and microbial parameters to assess how microbial communities influence soil C transformation and preservation.The results showed that SOC storage increased with stand age in the early stage of afforestation but remained unchanged at about 1.27-1.29 kg/m2 after 52 a.Moreover,there were consistent increases in amino sugars and microbial residues with increasing stand age.As stand age increased from 16 to 62 a,soil pH decreased from 6.84 to 5.71,and the concentration of total amino sugars increased from 178.53 to 509.99 mg/kg.A significant negative correlation between soil pH and the concentration of specific and total amino sugars was observed,indicating that the effects of soil acidification promote amino sugar stabilization during afforestation.In contrast to the Mongolian pine plantation of the same age,the cropland accumulated more SOC and microbial residues because of fertilizer application.Across Mongolian pine plantation with different ages,there was no significant change in calculated contribution of bacterial or fungal residues to SOC,suggesting that fungi were consistently the dominant contributors to SOC with increasing time.Our results indicate that afforestation in the Horqin Sandy Land promotes efficient microbial growth and residue accumulation in SOC stocks and has a consistent positive impact on SOC persistence.

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of a 3-Arylamino-3-Deoxy Sugar Derivative

3-Deoxy-3-（p-fluorine-phenylamino）-1,2-O-isopropylidene-α-D-ribofuranose 3 was synthesized and characterized by IR, NMR and H R M S, and its crystal structure was detertnined by X-ray diffraction analysis. Crystal data for 3： monoclinic, space group P21, a=7.0403（14）, b = 6.7780（4）, c = 14.932（3） A, β= 94.74（3）°, C14H18FNO4, Mr = 283.29, V= 710.1（2） A^3, Z = 2, Dc = 1.325 g/cm^3, μ = 0.105 mm^-1, F（000） = 300, the final R = 0.0468 and wR = 0.0926 for 1969 observed reflections （I 〉 2σ（I））. Two intermolecular hydrogen bonds are observed. The absolute configuration of this molecule was confirmed by comparison with that of the original material.

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of a New 3-Amino-3-deoxy Derivative from 3-Keto-D-xylose

The title compound 2 was synthesized by the reaction of 3-keto-D-xylose with O-C6H4NH2NH2 and characterized by IR, NMR and HRMS, and its crystal structure was determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. The crystal is of orthorhombic system （C21H22N2O5, Mr = 382.41）, space group P2 1 2 1 2 1 with α = 10.140（2）, b = 10.802（2）, c = 17.840（4） A, β = 90°, V = 1954.1（7）A^3, Z = 4, Dc = 1.300 g/cm^3, F（000） = 808, μ = 0.094 mm^-1, the final R = 0.0354 and wR = 0.0514 for 1924 observed reflections （I 〉 2σ（I））. One intermolecular and one intramolecular hydrogen bonds were found. The absolute configuration of this molecule was confirmed by comparison with that of the original material.

Accumulation of residual soil microbial carbon in Chinese fir plantation soils after nitrogen and phosphorus additions

Nitrogen （N） and phosphorus （P） additions can affect soil microbial carbon （C） accumulation. However, the mechanisms that drive the changes in residual microbial C that occur after N and P additions have not been well-defined for Chinese fir plantations in subtropical China. We set up six different treatments, viz. a control （CK）, two N treatments （NI： 50kgha-1 a-1; N2： 100 kg ha-1 a-1）, one P treatment （P： 50 kg ha-1 a-1）, and two combined N and P treatments （NIP： 50kgha-1a-1 of N ＋50kgha-1a-1 of P; N2P：100 kg ha-1 a-1 of N ＋ 50 kg ha-1 a-1 of P）. We then investigated the influences of N and P additions on residual microbial C. The results showed that soil pH and microbial biomass decreased after N additions, while microbial biomass increased after P additions. Soil organic carbon （SOC） and residual microbial C contents increased in the N and P treatments but not in the control. Residual microbial C accumulation varied according to treatment and declined in the order： N2P 〉 N1P 〉 N2 〉 N1 〉 P 〉 CK. Residual microbial C contents were positively correlated with available N, P, and SOC contents, but were negatively correlated with soil pH. The ratio of residual fungal C to residual bacterial C increased under P additions, but declined under combined N1P additions. The ratio of residual microbial C to SOC increased from 11 to 14% under the N1P and N2P treatments, respectively. Our results suggest that the concentrations of residual microbial C and the stability of SOC would increase under combined applications of N and P fertilizers in subtropical Chinese fir plantation soils.

Transformation of Sucrose to Starch and Protein in Rice Leaves and Grains under Two Establishment Methods

Six rice varieties, PR120, PR116, Feng Ai Zan, PR115, PAU201 and Punjab Mehak 1 were raised under aerobic and transplanting conditions to assess the effects of planting conditions on sucrose metabolising enzymes in relation to the transformation of free sugars to starch and protein in flag leaves and grains. Activities of sucrose synthase, sucrose phosphate synthase and acid invertase increased till flowering stage in leaves and mid-milky stage（14 d after flowering） in grains and thereafter declined in concomitant with the contents of reducing sugar. Under aerobic conditions, the activities of acid invertase and sucrose synthase（cleavage） significantly decreased in conjunction with the decrease in non-reducing sugars and starch content in all the varieties. Disruption of starch biosynthesis under the influence of aerobic conditions in both leaves and grains and the higher build up of sugars possibly resulted in their favoured utilization in nitrogen metabolism. Feng Ai Zan, PR115 and PR120 maintained higher levels of sucrose synthase enzymes in grains and leaves and contents of metabolites（amino acid, protein and non-reducing sugar） under aerobic conditions, while PR116, Punjab Mehak 1 and PAU201 performed better under transplanting conditions, thus showing their adaptation to environmental stress. Yield gap between aerobic and transplanting rice is attributed primarily to the difference in sink activity and strength. Overall, it appear that up-regulation of sucrose synthase（synthesis） and sucrose phosphate synthase under aerobic conditions might be responsible in enhancing growth and productivity of rice varieties.

Profound loss of microbial necromass carbon in permafrost thaw-subsidence in the central Tibetan Plateau

Climate warming is causing rapid permafrost degradation,including thaw-induced subsidence,potentially resulting in heightened carbon release.Nevertheless,our understanding of the levels and variations of carbon components in permafrost,particularly during the degradation process,remains limited.The uncertainties arising from this process lead to inaccurate assessments of the climate effects during permafrost degradation.With vast expanses of permafrost in the Tibetan Plateau,there is limited research available on SOC components,particularly in the central Tibetan Plateau.Given remarkable variations in hydrothermal conditions across different areas of the Tibetan Plateau,the existing limited studies make it challenging to assess the overall SOC components in the permafrost across the Tibetan Plateau and simulate their future changes.In this study,we examined the properties of soil organic carbon(SOC)and microbial necromass carbon(MicrobialNC)in a representative permafrost thaw-subsidence area at the southern edge of continuous permafrost in the central Tibetan Plateau.The results indicate that prior to the thaw-subsidence,the permafrost had a SOC content of 72.68±18.53 mg g^(-1),with MicrobialNC accounting for 49.6%.The thaw-subsidence of permafrost led to a 56.4%reduction in SOC,with MicrobialNC accounting for 70.0%of the lost SOC.MicrobialNC constitutes the primary component of permafrost SOC,and it is the main component that is lost during thaw-subsidence formation.Changes in MicrobialNC are primarily correlated with factors pH,plant input,and microbial properties.The present study holds crucial implications for both the ecological and biogeochemical processes associated with carbon release from permafrost,and it furnishes essential data necessary for modeling the global response of permafrost to climate warming.Based on this study and previous research,permafrost thawing in the Tibetan Plateau causes substantial loss of SOC.However,there's remarkable heterogeneity in SOC component changes across different regions,warranting further in-depth investigation.

Amino Compounds in Poultry Litter,Litter-Amended Pasture Soils and Grass Shoots

Amino compounds （ACs）, i.e., amino acids and amino sugars, are the major forms of organic nitrogen （N） in animal manure and soil. To increase our understanding on the effect of long-term poultry litter （PL） application on soil AC pools and turnover, in this study, we determined the contents of 21 ACs in 23 PL samples, i5 soil samples collected from 0-20, 20-40, and 40-60 cm layers of five pasture plots with 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 years of PL applications, and 5 grass shoot samples grown on these pasture fields. The contents of 21 ACs were simultaneously determined by methanesulfonic acid hydrolysis/extraction and anion chromatography-pulsed amperometry. PL application increased soil total and individual AC contents with a distribution pattern similar to that of AC in PL. The highest AC-N concentrations were observed in the soils with 10- or 15-year PL applications, inconsistent with the order of annual application rates or eunmlative applied PL amounts. Application of PL increased the AC contents in grass shoots whereby the highest increase of most ACs was with the shoots from the fields that received PL for 5 years. These observations suggested that both freshly applied and residual PL had contributions to the soil AC-N, and that PL application also accelerated AC-N transformation in soil.

Hierarchical self-assembly: when sugar meets amino acid

Life is an extremely delicate self-assembly system, where a rich array of small molecules, macromolecules and other entities associate and organize in an intrinsically diverse and precise manner. During the past few decades, scientists have devoted enormous efforts to fabricate functional materials, including the interesting self-assembled molecular devices that recently crowned with the 2016 Nobel Chemistry Prize, by self-assembly of natural and synthetic molecules/mac- romolecules. Nevertheless, it still remains an incredibly big challenge to approach the elegance of life self-assembly, predominantly as a consequence of limited diversity and accuracy of chemistry, structure, and supramolecular asso- ciation of the building blocks.

Straw-returning reduces the contribution of microbial anabolism to salt-affected soil organic carbon accumulation over a salinity gradient

●In low-salinity soil,straw-returning did not change necromass contribution to SOC.●In medium-salinity soil,straw-returning reduced necromass contribution to SOC.●Straw-returning reduced POC contribution to SOC in low-salinity soil.●Straw-returning increased POC contribution to SOC in medium-salinity soil.●Salinity affects the contribution of microbial-derived and plant-derived C to SOC.Salinization affects microbial-mediated soil organic carbon(SOC)dynamics.However,the mechanisms of SOC accumulation under agricultural management practices in salt-affected soils remain unclear.We investigated the relative contribution of microbial-derived and plant-derived C to SOC accumulation in coastal salt-affected soils under straw-returning,by determining microbial necromass biomarkers(amino sugars)and particulate organic C(POC).Results showed that,straw-returning increased necromass accumulation in low-salinity soil but did not change its contribution to SOC.In medium-salinity soil,straw-returning did not increase necromass accumulation but decreased its contribution to SOC.In low-and medium-salinity soils,the contribution of POC to SOC showed the opposite direction to that of the necromass.These results suggest that under straw-returning,the relative contribution of microbial-derived C to SOC decreased with increasing salinity,whereas the reverse was true for plant-derived C.Our results highlighted that straw-returning reduces the contribution of microbial anabolism to SOC accumulation in salt-affected soils with increasing salinity.

Influence of tree species on soil microbial residue accumulation and distribution among soil aggregates in subtropical plantations of China

Background Microbial residues are significant contributors to stable soil organic carbon(SOC).Soil aggregates effectively protect microbial residues against decomposition;thus,microbial residue accumulation and distribution among soil aggregates determine long-term SOC stability.However,how tree species influence accumulation and distribution of soil microbial residues remains largely unknown,hindering the chances to develop policies for SOC management.Here,we investigated microbial residue accumulation and distribution in soil aggregates under four subtropical tree species(Cunninghamia lanceolata,Pinus massoniana,Michelia macclurei,and Schima superba)after 29 years of afforestation.Results Accumulation of microbial residues in the 0-10 cm soil layer was 13.8-26.7%higher under S.superba than that under the other tree species.A structural equation model revealed that tree species affected the accumulation of microbial residues directly by altering fungal biomass.Additionally,tree species significantly affected microbial residue distribution and contribution to SOC in the top 20 cm soil.In particular,microbial residue distribution was 17.2-33.4%lower in large macro-aggregates(LMA)but 60.1-140.7%higher in micro-aggregates(MA)under S.superba than that under the other species in the 0-10 cm soil layer,and 14.3-19.0%lower in LMA but 43-52.1%higher in MA under S.superba than that under C.lanceolata and M.macclurei in the 10-20 cm soil layer.Moreover,the contribution of microbial residues to SOC was 44.4-47.5%higher under S.superba than under the other tree species.These findings suggest a higher stability of microbial residues under S.superba than that under the other studied tree species.Conclusions Our results demonstrate that tree species influence long-term microbial persistence in forest soils by affecting accumulation and stabilization of microbial residues.

The soil Microbial Carbon Pump as a new concept for terrestrial carbon sequestration

Soil is a huge terrestrial carbon pool, which has higher carbon storage than the sum of atmospheric and terrestrial vegetation carbon. Small fluctuations in soil carbon pool can affect regional carbon flux and global climate change. As soil organic carbon plays key roles in soil carbon storage and sequestration, studying its composition, sources and stability mechanism is a key to deeply understand the functions of terrestrial ecosystem and how it will respond to climate changes. The recently-proposed concept of soil Microbial Carbon Pump(MCP) emphasizes the importance of soil microbial anabolism and its contributions to soil carbon formation and stabilization, which can be applied for elucidating the source, formation and sequestration of soil organic carbon. This article elaborates MCP-mediated soil carbon sequestration mechanism and its influencing factors, as well as representative scientific questions we may explore with the soil MCP conceptual framework.

Vertical changes of POC flux and indicators of early degradation of organic matter in the South China Sea

Tie-series sediment trap materials at different water depths and surface sediments in northern and central South China Sea (SCS) were analyzed for organic carbon, amino acids, amino sugars and carbohydrates. Results show that particulate organic carbon (POC) is mainly derived from marine plankton, only 1.4%–1.6% of primary production sinks into deep SCS water column and less than 0.22 % of primary production ultimately reaches the sediments. The ranineralization and dissolution of organic matter as well as the compositional alterations of organic matter mixtures may mainly take place in the upper few hundred meters of water column, deep carbonate (opal) lysocline zones, and interface layers between sediments and water column, rather than in mid-waters. The organic geochemical parameters such as (T aa +T sug )OC%, AA/AS, Gluam/Galam, Arom. AA/non-prot. AA, ASP/b-ALA, Glu/g-ABA decrease from living marine plankton (or planktonic shells), to settling particulate matter and to sediments suggesting that they appear to be gad early degraded indicators of organic matter.

Increased microbial sequestration of soil organic carbon under nitrogen deposition over China’s terrestrial ecosystems

Background:China’s terrestrial ecosystems have been receiving increasing amounts of reactive nitrogen(N)over recent decades.External N inputs profoundly change microbially mediated soil carbon(C)dynamics,but how elevated N affects the soil organic C that is derived from microbial residues is not fully understood.Here,we evaluated the changes in soil microbial necromass C under N addition at 11 forest,grassland,and cropland sites over China’s terrestrial ecosystems through a meta-analysis based on available data from published articles.Results:Microbial necromass C accounted for an average of 49.5%of the total soil organic C across the studied sites,with higher values observed in croplands(53.0%)and lower values in forests(38.6%).Microbial necromass C was significantly increased by 9.5%after N addition,regardless of N forms,with greater stimulation observed for fungal(+11.2%)than bacterial(+4.5%)necromass C.This increase in microbial necromass C under elevated N was greater under longer experimental periods but showed little variation among different N application rates.The stimulation of soil microbial necromass C under elevated N was proportional to the change in soil organic C.Conclusions:The stimulation of microbial residues after biomass turnover is an important pathway for the observed increase in soil organic C under N deposition across China’s terrestrial ecosystems.

Specific Responses of Soil Microbial Residue Carbon to Long-Term Mineral Fertilizer Applications to Reddish Paddy Soils

Mineral nutrient inputs to soil may alter microbial activity and consequently influence the accumulation of microbial residues. In this study, we investigated the effects of application rates and ratios of mineral fertilizers on the microbial residue carbon(MRC) of reddish paddy soils after long-term(15-year) fertilizer applications in southern China. Contents of three soil amino sugars as microbial residue contents were determined and MRC were calculated based on amino sugars. Results showed that three individual amino sugar contents increased as fertilizer application rates increased until maximum values were reached at a rate of 450-59-187 kg ha^(-1) year^(-1)(N-P-K). The three amino sugar contents then declined significantly under the highest mineral fertilizer application rate of 675-88-280 kg ha^(-1) year^(-1)(N-P-K). In addition, to enhance the microbial residue contents, it was more beneficial to double P(N:P:K= 1:0.26:0.41) in fertilizers applied to the P-deficient reddish paddy soils than to double either N(N:P:K = 2:0.13:0.41) or K(N:P:K= 1:0.13:0.82). The contents of the three individual amino sugars and microbial residues under different fertilizer application rates and ratios were significantly and positively correlated with soil organic carbon(SOC), total N, total P, and p H. Increases in values of the fungal C to bacterial C ratios showed that soil organic matter(SOM) stability increased because of the fertilizer applications over the past 15 years. The contents and ratios of amino sugars can be used as indicators to evaluate the impact of mineral fertilizer applications on SOM dynamics in subtropical paddy soils. The results indicated that fertilizer applications at a rate of 450-59-187 kg ha^(-1) year^(-1)(N-P-K) may improve crop yields, SOC contents, and SOC stability in subtropical paddy soils.