Expanding the C-S-R framework to incorporate microbial interactions: Evidence from methanotrophy
Your input is already in plain text using only ASCII characters and does not contain any nonprintable characters, non-ASCII characters, or diacritical marks. Here is a slight rephrasing to ensure clarity, while maintaining the same information and constraints:Microbial ecology currently lacks a framework to predict how metabolic interactions influence community assembly under environmental change. To address this, we have extended Grime's C-S-R theory by incorporating microbial interdependencies, using methane-oxidizing bacteria as our model system.Through controlled experiments across nitrogen gradients, we observed a shift in the dominance of methanotrophs. Specifically, Methylomonas, a stress tolerator that uses nitrogen fixation, thrives under nitrogen limitation. Conversely, Methylobacter, a competitor that exploits nitrate, dominates in nitrate-rich conditions. This transition is facilitated by Methylotenera, a denitrifier that depends on methanotroph-derived carbon. In nitrate-rich environments, Methylobacter monopolizes resources by forming a partnership with Methylotenera, which relies solely on methanotroph-derived carbon, a dynamic that is not captured by classical CSR definitions. On the other hand, nitrogen limitation favors metabolically autonomous Methylomonas, exemplifying stress tolerance.To explain these patterns, we propose the CSO framework.In this framework,"Organizers structure communities through interaction networks rather than standalone traits. This model underscores how microbial partnerships redistribute resources, disrupt growth hierarchies, and enhance niche differentiation. Our findings challenge traditional organism-centric models and emphasize the need for interaction-driven strategies to predict ecosystem responses to anthropogenic shifts, such as nitrogen pollution. By integrating microecological theory with microbial trait ecology, this work enhances our holistic understanding of community dynamics in methane-driven ecosystems and other microbiomes.