Acid phosphatases in the context of the global phosphorus cycle

Summary

This review examines the critical role of acid phosphatases—enzymes produced by phosphate-solubilising microorganisms—in governing phosphorus availability across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The authors synthesise evidence on the structural and mechanistic diversity of these enzymes, identifying distinct bacterial and fungal phosphatase lineages, and detail how microbial phosphatase secretion, alongside organic acids and metallophores, converts immobilised phosphorus compounds into bioavailable orthophosphate. The work emphasises that understanding phosphorus mobilisation through microbial-mediated enzymatic processes is fundamental to sustainable nutrient management amid widespread anthropogenic disruption of global phosphorus cycles.

Regional applicability

The mechanistic understanding of phosphatase function and phosphorus mobilisation is globally applicable to temperate and tropical farming systems. United Kingdom soils, particularly those depleted by intensive agriculture or characterised by fixed phosphorus, would benefit from application of these principles to enhance microbial-mediated phosphorus cycling and reduce reliance on mined phosphate fertilisers. Transferability depends on soil pH, microbial community composition, and root-microbe interactions, which vary regionally.

Key measures

Bioinformatic analysis identifying phosphatase classes (three bacterial acid phosphatase classes and at least eight fungal phosphatase clades); enzymatic mechanisms for orthophosphate liberation from insoluble compounds

Outcomes reported

The paper characterises the structural and mechanistic diversity of acid phosphatases across bacterial and fungal taxa, and describes how these enzymes mobilise phosphorus through hydrolysis of organophosphorus compounds in soil and aquatic environments.

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