Belda Ignacio, Izquierdo-Gea Sergio, Benitez-Dominguez Belen, Ruiz Javier, Vila Jean C C
Department of Genetics, Physiology and Microbiology, Biology Faculty, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Institute of Functional Biology & Genomics, IBFG - CSIC, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
Environ Microbiol. 2025 Apr;27(4):e70092. doi: 10.1111/1462-2920.70092.
In vitro microbial communities have proven to be invaluable model systems for studying ecological and evolutionary processes experimentally. However, it remains unclear whether quantitative insights obtained from these laboratory systems can be applied to complex communities assembling and evolving in their natural ecological context. To bridge the gap between the lab and the 'real-world', there is a need for laboratory model systems that better approximate natural and semi-natural ecosystems. Wine fermentation presents an ideal system for this purpose, balancing experimental tractability with rich ecological and evolutionary dynamics. In this perspective piece we outline the key features that make wine fermentation a fruitful model system for ecologists and evolutionary biologists. We highlight the diversity of environmentally mediated interactions that shape community dynamics during fermentation, the complex evolutionary history of wine microbial populations, and the opportunity to study the impact of complex ecologies on evolutionary dynamics. By integrating knowledge from both wine research and microbial ecology and evolution we aim to enhance understanding and foster collaboration between these fields.
体外微生物群落已被证明是用于实验研究生态和进化过程的宝贵模型系统。然而，从这些实验室系统中获得的定量见解是否能够应用于在自然生态环境中组装和进化的复杂群落，目前仍不清楚。为了弥合实验室与“现实世界”之间的差距，需要更好地模拟自然和半自然生态系统的实验室模型系统。葡萄酒发酵为此提供了一个理想的系统，它在实验可操作性与丰富的生态和进化动态之间取得了平衡。在这篇观点文章中，我们概述了使葡萄酒发酵成为生态学家和进化生物学家富有成效的模型系统的关键特征。我们强调了在发酵过程中塑造群落动态的环境介导相互作用的多样性、葡萄酒微生物种群复杂的进化历史，以及研究复杂生态对进化动态影响的机会。通过整合葡萄酒研究以及微生物生态学和进化方面的知识，我们旨在增进对这些领域的理解并促进它们之间的合作。
