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Microbial redox cycling enhances ecosystem thermodynamic efficiency and productivity
  • Mayumi Seto,
  • Michio Kondoh
Mayumi Seto
Nara Women's University

Corresponding Author:seto@ics.nara-wu.ac.jp

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Michio Kondoh
Tohoku University
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Abstract

Microbial life in an ecosystem with low energy supply has been considered to employ two energy utilization strategies. The first is energy conservation at an individual level, while the second is energy use optimization in response to the availability of energy resources. Here, using an oxidation-reduction (redox) reaction network model where microbial metabolic pathways are established through multiple species-level competition and cooperation within a redox reaction network, we hypothesize that microbial ecosystems can move forward to increase energy use efficiency, namely an energy efficiency strategy at the community level. This strategy is supported by microbial functional diversity that enables species to interact with others in various ways of metabolic handoffs. Moreover, the high energy use efficiency is attributable to the mutualistic division of labor that increases the complexity of metabolic pathways, which actively drives material cycling to exploit more energy.
27 Jan 2023Submitted to Ecology Letters
31 Jan 2023Submission Checks Completed
31 Jan 2023Assigned to Editor
31 Jan 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
21 Feb 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
09 Mar 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Major
02 Apr 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
02 Apr 20231st Revision Received
03 Apr 2023Submission Checks Completed
03 Apr 2023Assigned to Editor
09 Apr 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
01 Jun 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
12 Jun 20232nd Revision Received
12 Jun 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
12 Jun 2023Submission Checks Completed
12 Jun 2023Assigned to Editor
12 Jun 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
21 Jun 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
22 Jun 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
22 Jun 20233rd Revision Received
23 Jun 2023Editorial Decision: Accept