Phospholipid fatty acids in soil—drawbacks and future prospects

Abstract The current opinion and position paper highlights (1) correct assignation of indicator phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA), (2) specificity recycling PLFA in microorganisms, (3) complete extraction detection PLFA. straight-chain 14:0, 15:0, 16:0, 17:0 occur all i.e., also fungi not only bacteria. If the phylum Actinobacteria is excluded from group Gram-positive bacteria, remaining bacteria belong to bacterial Firmicutes, which should be considered. 16:1?5 used as an for biomass arbuscular mycorrhizal (AMF) there no experimental evidence that they marked amounts Gram-negative Fungal embrace AMF-specific 16:1?5. In presence plants, ergosterol instead 18:2?6,9 18:1?9 fungal indicators Mucoromycotina, Ascomycota, Basidiomycota. majority are fully specific a certain microbial group. This problem might intensified by processes during decomposition unknown extent. Soil handling conditions further optimized. reliability accuracy gas chromatographic separation need regularly checked against unintentional variations. analysis will still interest over next decades important independent control DNA-based methods.