核酸分析方法在土壤微生物多样性研究中的应用

土壤微生物多样性一般包括微生物分类群的多样性、遗传(基因)多样性、生态特征多样性和功能多样性。传统的分离培养方法和土壤微生物的生化研究手段具有一定的局限性,核酸分析方法为土壤微生物多样性研究注入了新活力。本文主要综述了近年来国内外研究土壤微生物多样性所采用的核酸提取方法及核酸分析方法。重点阐述了基于PCR的分子指纹技术、核酸杂交技术、基因芯片等核酸分析方法的原理、优缺点和应用。各种土壤微生物多样性研究方法的综合应用可扬长避短,起到相互补充的作用,从而能够提供更加丰富而准确的土壤微生物群落结构及种群丰度变化等方面的信息,也将成为这一领域今后的发展趋势。

Application of nucleic acid-based methods in the study of soil microbial diversity

A review is presented of the nucleic acid extraction methods and the subsequent nucleic acid based analysis applied in the study of soil microbial diversity. It is important to study microbial diversity not only for basic scientific research, but also for a better understanding of the relation between diversity and community structure and function. It is, therefore, essential to master and comprehend appropriate, reliable and accurate methods for studying soil microbial diversity. Traditionally, the analysis of soil microbial communities used to depend on culturing techniques. The inability to culture most of the microbes from soil samples is a fundamental obstacle to understanding soil microbial ecology and diversity. Other methods such as the community-level physiological profiling (CLPP), analysis of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) and nucleic acid-based methods are now used to mea sure a greater proportion of the soil microbial community. Nucleic acid-based methods include molecular fingerprints pattern based on PCR technique, nucleic acid hybridization, DNA microarrays technology and so on. These methods open up new approaches to measuring soil microbial diversity and help update understanding of soil microbial community and diversity. Given the current state of knowledge, the authors feel that the best way to study soil microbial diversity would be to use a variety of tests different in endpoints and degree of resolution to obtain more information regarding the microbes, which will eventually enhance our knowledge about soil microbial diversity.