Phospholipid fatty acid profiling of microbial communities: a review of interpretations and recent applications
Abstract
Profiling of microbial communities in environmental samples often utilizes
phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis. This method has been used for more
than 35 years and is still popular as a means to characterize microbial
communities in a diverse range of environmental matrices. This review
examines the various recent applications of PLFA analysis in environmental
studies with specific reference to the interpretation of the PLFA results. It is
evident that interpretations of PLFA results do not always correlate between
different investigations. These discrepancies in interpretation and their
subsequent applications to environmental studies are discussed. However, in
spite of limitations to the manner in which PLFA data are applied, the
approach remains one with great potential for improving our understanding of
the relationship between microbial populations and the environment. This
review highlights the caveats and provides suggestions towards the practicable
application of PLFA data interpretation
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10394/18921https://doi.org/10.1111/jam.12902
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jam.12902