Publisher：Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory  

Understanding the rules that govern microbial community assembly is essential for predicting ecosystem function. While microbial predators are key biotic agents that shape bacterial communities through predation, yet their ecological consequences have been studied mostly in isolated and in vitro systems1,3. In contrast, large-scale studies of microbial diversity have primarily emphasized abiotic factors as drivers of community assembly 4,7, while the role of microbial predators modulating global microbial divergence and convergence patterns remains largely neglected. Here, we show that bacterivorous protists (predators) exert dual, scale-dependent effects on microbial communities: promoting local convergence by suppressing dominant bacterial taxa, while generating global divergence through species-specific predation effects. By integrating global meta-analyses, controlled field experiments, and reconstructions of natural and synthetic communities, we find that predator identity and prey susceptibility jointly determine convergence outcomes. Communities dominated by predator-resistant taxa exhibit reduced convergence under predation pressure, revealing a predictable trait-based filtering mechanism. This framework reconciles previous contradictory findings3,8,11 and highlights predators as selective, context-dependent agents of microbial biogeography. Predator-driven convergence suggests new opportunities for microbiome engineering 12: targeted use of predators may steer microbial communities toward functional configurations that enhance soil health, disease suppression, carbon cycling, and ecosystem resilience2,13,14.

DOI： 10.1101/2025.08.15.670637

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Authorship：Lead author   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Springer Science and Business Media LLC  

DOI： 10.1007/s11104-024-06846-w

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Other Link： https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11104-024-06846-w/fulltext.html

Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Ankara University Faculty of Agriculture  

<p lang="en">To overcome the global problem of food shortage while supporting sustainable life on Earth, we must appreciate the critical importance of soil microorganisms—the key drivers of essential ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling and plant productivity. Protists are one of the major microbial groups in soil ecosystem including primary producers, decomposers, predators, and symbionts. The diverse morphologies and feeding strategies of predatory protists, including amoebae, ciliates, and flagellates, contribute to their versatility in capturing prey. Particularly, trophic interactions between protists and bacteria play a crucial role in regulating bacterial communities in the soil. Protists selectively prey on bacteria, influencing community composition, and enhancing microbial activity. The impact extends to nutrient cycling, secondary metabolite production, and even antibiotic resistance in soil bacterial communities. Despite recent advances, the field of applied protistology remains underexplored, necessitating further research to bridge the gap between theoretical potential and practical application. We call for increased scientific attention, research efforts, and practical implementations to fully harness the benefits of soil protistology for future agricultural practices. In this article, we introduced the frequently overlooked essential roles of predatory protists in soil ecosystem and their potential usage in sustainable agriculture.</p>

DOI： 10.15832/ankutbd.1447822

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Authorship：Lead author   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Springer Science and Business Media LLC  

DOI： 10.1007/s00374-023-01733-5

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Other Link： https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00374-023-01733-5/fulltext.html

J-GLOBAL

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Event date： 2024.11

Presentation type：Poster presentation  

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Event date： 2024.9

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

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Event date： 2024.3

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Event date： 2022.11

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Event date： 2022.6

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