A Review of Assessing Soil Community Level Physiological Profiles Using MicroRespTM

• 1、Pratacultural College, Gansu University

Abstract：Understanding the functions of microbial communities in different environments is essential to have knowledge of ecological processes. However, the quantitative description of microbial communities is one of the most difficult tasks facing microbial ecologists. Community Level Physiological Profile (CLPP) is usually assessed to obtain the diversities of carbon substrate catabolism of microbial communities. In recent 20 years, three methods have been developed for assessing CLPP, Biolog (based on Sole-carbon-source tests), Multiple carbon-sources Substrate-induced Respiration (Multi-SIR), and MicroRespTM. Biolog redox technique is widely used in part because it is simple, automatable, quick and informational. However, the fundamental basis of using such an approach for ecological studies has been questioned due to its depending on inefficient extraction. A Multi-SIR was developed, which measures the response of the whole soil community without the need for extraction but lost the convenience of the microtitre plate format, and is time-consuming and laborious when analyzing large numbers of samples and substrates. Therefore, the third approach, MicroRespTM, was developed, which combines the advantages of both Biolog and Multi-SIR, and allows for the rapid assessment of CLPP from whole soil using a colourmetric detection system and an automated plate reader. The objective of this review is to increase recognizing the diversity of the three methods, the development, principle, operation, application of MicroRespTM in different ecosystems.

Keywords： Soil science MicroResp Community level physiological profiles Microbial communities Functional diversity Substrate induced respiration