Bioindication potential of soil microbial communities for assessment of anthropogenic impact: integrative metabolomic approach

Abstract

Soil microbial communities are sensitive indicators of the ecological status and anthropogenic stress on ecosystems. The present study is aimed at developing a comprehensive metabolomic approach to assessing the bioindication potential of the soil microbiota under various anthropogenic influences. The work is based on an integrative analysis of the metabolomic profiles of soil microorganisms obtained using high-performance liquid chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry. The study was conducted on 78 soil samples taken in various functional zones with a gradient of anthropogenic load, including urbanized territories, agricultural lands and relatively untouched ecosystems. Specific metabolic markers were identified that reliably reflect the degree of anthropogenic stress with high sensitivity (93.7%) and specificity (89.2%). The analysis of metabolomes allowed us to identify 317 low molecular weight compounds, of which 42 demonstrate a statistically significant correlation (p<0.001) with the concentrations of pollutants. A predictive model has been developed and validated to determine the type and intensity of anthropogenic impact based on metabolic patterns with an accuracy of 87.3%. A significant correlation was established between the functional structure of microbial communities and their metabolomic profiles (r=0.83, p<0.001). The results obtained indicate the high potential of the metabolomic analysis of the soil microbiota for the creation of effective bioindication systems and environmental monitoring of disturbed ecosystems.