Fungal networks in yield-invigorating and -debilitating soils induced by prolonged potato monoculture

Most previous studies on soil microbial communities have been focused on species abundance and diversity, but not the interactions among species. In present study, the Molecular Ecological Network Analysis tool was used to study the interactions and network organizations of fungal communities in yield-invigorating (healthy) and -debilitating (diseased) soils induced by prolonged potato monoculture, based on the relative abundances of internal transcribed spacer sequences derived using pyrosequencing. An emphasis was placed on the differences between the healthy and diseased networks. The constructed healthy and diseased networks both showed scale-free, small world and modular properties. The key topological properties and phylogenetic composition of the two networks were similar. However, major differences included: a) the healthy network had more number of functionally interrelated operational taxonomic units (OTUs) than the diseased one; b) healthy network contained 6 (4%) generalist OTUs whereas the diseased contained only 1 (0.6%) marginal generalist OTU; and c) majority (55%) of OTUs in healthy soils were stimulated by a certain set of soil variables but the majorities (63%) in diseased soils were inhibited. Based on these data, a conceptual picture was synthesized: a healthy community was a better organized or a better operated community than the diseased one; a healthy soil was a soil with variables that encouraged majority of fungi whereas a diseased soil discouraged. By comparing the topological roles of different sets of shared OTUs between healthy and diseased networks, it was found that role-shifts prevailed among the network members such as generalists/specialists, significant module memberships and the OTU sets irresponsive to soil variables in one network but responsive in the counterpart network. Soil organic matter was the key variable associated with healthy community, whereas ammonium nitrogen (NH4+–N) and Electrical conductivity (EC) were the key variables associated with diseased community. Major affected phylogenetic groups were Sordariales and Hypocreales.