RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Linking soil biology and chemistry using bacterial isolate exometabolite profiles JF bioRxiv FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory SP 109330 DO 10.1101/109330 A1 Tami L. Swenson A1 Ulas Karaoz A1 Joel M. Swenson A1 Benjamin P. Bowen A1 Trent Northen YR 2017 UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2017/02/17/109330.abstract AB Sequencing provides a window into microbial community structure and metabolic potential; however, linking these data to exogenous metabolites that microorganisms process and produce (the exometabolome) remains challenging. Previously, we observed strong exometabolite niche partitioning among bacterial isolates from biological soil crust (biocrust). Here we examine native biocrust to determine if these patterns are reproduced in the environment. Overall, most soil metabolites displayed the expected relationship (positive or negative correlation) with four dominant bacteria following a wetting event and across biocrust developmental stages. For metabolites that were previously found to be consumed by an isolate, 78% were negatively correlated with the abundance of in situ isolate phylotypes whereas for released metabolites, 73% were positively correlated. Our results demonstrate that metabolite profiling, sequencing and exometabolomics can be successfully integrated to functionally link metagenomes and microbial community structure with environmental chemistry.