近日，Chris Greening及其研究团队探明了树皮微生物群调节澳大利亚森林的气候活性气体通量。相关论文发表在2026年1月8日出版的《科学》杂志上。

在这里，该研究团队通过基因中心和基因组解析的宏基因组学揭示，八种常见的亚洲树种的树皮拥有丰富和专门的微生物群落。主要细菌是适应动态氧化还原和底物条件的氢循环兼性厌氧菌。

此外，树皮相关的产甲烷菌丰富，可以与氢营养型产甲烷菌共存。微观实验表明，树皮微生物以植物浓度的甲烷、氢和一氧化碳为好氧消耗，并在缺氧条件下产生这些气体。结合现场测量，该课题组发现树栖微生物群在树干内以显著的速率代谢多种气候活性气体，突出了在全球大气循环中的潜在重要作用。

据悉，最近的研究表明，微生物栖息在树皮上，但对它们的身份、功能和环境作用知之甚少。

附：英文原文

Title: Bark microbiota modulate climate-active gas fluxes in Australian forests

Author: Pok Man Leung, Luke C. Jeffrey, Sean K. Bay, Paula Gomez-Alvarez, Montgomery Hall, Scott G. Johnston, Johannes Dittmann, Elisabeth Deschaseaux, Billie Hopkins, Jasmine Haskell, Thanavit Jirapanjawat, Tess F. Hutchinson, Nicholas V. Coleman, Xiyang Dong, Damien T. Maher, Chris Greening

Issue&Volume: 2026-01-08

Abstract: Recent studies suggest that microbes inhabit tree bark, yet little is known about their identities, functions, and environmental roles. Here we reveal, through gene-centric and genome-resolved metagenomics, that the bark of eight common Australian tree species hosts abundant and specialized microbial communities. The predominant bacteria are hydrogen-cycling facultative anaerobes adapted to dynamic redox and substrate conditions. Furthermore, bark-associated methanotrophs are abundant and can coexist with hydrogenotrophic methanogens. Microcosm experiments showed that bark microorganisms aerobically consume methane, hydrogen, and carbon monoxide at in planta concentrations and produce these gases under anoxia. Combined with in situ field measurements, we show that tree-dwelling microbiota metabolize multiple climate-active gases at marked rates within tree stems, highlighting a potentially substantial role in global atmospheric cycles.

DOI: adu2182

Source: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adu2182