Characteristics and Diversity of Endophytic Bacteria in Endangered Chinese Herb Glehnia littoralis Based on Illumina Sequencing

Glehnia littoralis is an endangered medicinal plant growing in the coastal ecological environment and plays an important role in coastal ecosystems. The endophytes in the plant have a significant role in promoting plant growth and enhancing plant stress resistance. However, the endophytic bacterial structure associated with halophyte G. littoralis is still not revealed. In this project, the construction and diversity of endophytic bacterial consortium associated with different tissues of G. littoralis were illustrated with high throughput sequencing of the V3-V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA. The results resolved that the diversity and richness of endophytic bacteria were significantly higher in root than in leaf and stem. The operational taxonomic units (OTU) analysis demonstrated that the Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria were dominant in all the samples at the phylum level, and Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Rhizobium were the dominant genera. Our results unraveled that the bacterial communities differed among different tissues of G. littoralis. Endophytic bacterial communities in leaf and stem shared more similarity than that in the root. Furthermore, the difference of bacteria community and structure among different tissues were also detected by principal coordinate analysis. Taken altogether, we can conclude that the bacterial communities of different tissues are unique, which could facilitate understanding the diversity of endophytic bacteria in G. littoralis.Key words: Glehnia littoralis, halophyte, endophytic bacteria, diversity, Illumina sequencing     

Influences of Plant Species,Season and Location on Leaf Endophytic Bacterial Communities of Non-Cultivated Plants

Bacteria are known to be associated endophytically with plants. Research on endophytic bacteria has identified their importance in food safety, agricultural production and phytoremediation. However, the diversity of endophytic bacterial communities and the forces that shape their compositions in non-cultivated plants are largely uncharacterized. In this study, we explored the diversity, community structure, and dynamics of endophytic bacteria in different plant species in the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve of northern Oklahoma, USA. High throughput sequencing of amplified segments of bacterial rDNA from 81 samples collected at four sampling times from five plant species at four locations identified 335 distinct OTUs at 97% sequence similarity, representing 16 phyla. Proteobacteria was the dominant phylum in the communities, followed by the phyla Bacteriodetes and Actinobacteria. Bacteria from four classes of Proteobacteria were detected with Alphaproteobacteria as the dominant class. Analysis of molecular variance revealed that host plant species and collecting date had significant influences on the compositions of the leaf endophytic bacterial communities. The proportion of Alphaproteobacteria was much higher in the communities from Asclepias viridis than from other plant species and differed from month to month. The most dominant bacterial groups identified in LDA Effect Size analysis showed host-specific patterns, indicating mutual selection between host plants and endophytic bacteria and that leaf endophytic bacterial compositions were dynamic, varying with the host plant’s growing season in three distinct patterns. In summary, next generation sequencing has revealed variations in the taxonomic compositions of leaf endophytic bacterial communities dependent primarily on the nature of the plant host species.     

Characterization of rhizosphere and endophytic bacterial communities from leaves,stems and roots of medicinal Stellera chamaejasme L.

A diverse array of bacteria that inhabit the rhizosphere and different plant organs play a crucial role in plant health and growth. Therefore, a general understanding of these bacterial communities and their diversity is necessary. Using the 16S rRNA gene clone library technique, the bacterial community structure and diversity of the rhizosphere and endophytic bacteria in Stellera chamaejasme compartments were compared and clarified for the first time. Grouping of the sequences obtained showed that members of the Proteobacteria (43.2%), Firmicutes (36.5%) and Actinobacteria (14.1%) were dominant in both samples. Other groups that were consistently found, albeit at lower abundance, were Bacteroidetes (2.1%), Chloroflexi (1.9%), and Cyanobacteria (1.7%). The habitats (rhizosphere vs endophytes) and organs (leaf, stem and root) structured the community, since the Wilcoxon signed rank test indicated that more varied bacteria inhabited the rhizosphere compared to the organs of the plant. In addition, correspondence analysis also showed that differences were apparent in the bacterial communities associated with these distinct habitats. Moreover, principal component analysis revealed that the profiles obtained from the rhizosphere and roots were similar, whereas leaf and stem samples clustered together on the opposite side of the plot from the rhizosphere and roots. Taken together, these results suggested that, although the communities associated with the rhizosphere and organs shared some bacterial species, the associated communities differed in structure and diversity.     

巨菌草不同生长时期的内生固氮菌群组成分析

【背景】禾本科植物中存在着丰富的内生固氮菌资源,可为植物的生长、营养利用、增强抗逆性等起到重要的促进作用。【目的】揭示巨菌草不同生长时期根、茎、叶内生固氮细菌的组成及其变化。【方法】采用高通量测序技术对不同生长时期的巨菌草根、茎、叶内生固氮菌群进行群落分析。【结果】不同生长时期巨菌草根、茎、叶的15个样本分别得到4-6万条有效序列,主要分布在360 bp左右。根部巨菌草内生固氮菌群在成熟期最高,茎部和叶部均为拔节期最高,同一生长时期则为根叶茎,变化趋势与巨菌草植物样本的固氮酶活性变化趋势一致,其主要的菌群门类为变形菌门(Proteobacteria)和蓝藻菌门(Cyanobacteria),主要核心属为克雷伯氏菌属(Klebsiella)、草螺菌属(Herbaspirillum)和慢生根瘤菌(Bradyrhizobium)。整体上看,根、叶部来源的各自微生物菌群组成较为接近,茎部来源的菌群与根部、叶部有交叉,成熟期根部的联合固氮菌群种类和丰度最高。典范对应分析表明各来源样本固氮菌群的组成主要受环境温度影响,其次为湿度和pH。【结论】不同生长时期巨菌草根、茎、叶固氮菌群的组成及丰度存在着较大的差异,本研究可为巨菌草内生固氮菌群资源的开发和利用以及种质资源库的建立提供基础依据。     

Shifts in diversity and community structure of endophytic bacteria and archaea across root, stem and leaf tissues in the common reed, Phragmites australis, along a salinity gradient in a marine tidal wetland of northern China

The effects of salt stress on endophytic prokaryotic communities in plants are largely unknown, and the distribution patterns of bacterial and archaeal endophytes in different tissues of a plant species are rarely compared. We investigated the endophytic bacterial and archaeal communities in roots, stems and leaves of the common reed, Phragmites australis, collected from three tidal zones along a salinity gradient, using terminal restriction fragment (T-RF) length polymorphism analysis of the 16S rRNA genes. The results showed that the bacterial diversity in the roots was significantly higher than that in the leaves, whereas similar archaeal diversity was revealed for either plant tissues or tidal zones. Network analysis revealed that T-RFs were grouped largely by tissue, and the major groups were generally linked by a few common T-RFs. Unique T-RFs in roots were mainly present in plants growing in the supratidal zone, but unique T-RFs in stems and leaves were mainly present in those from the middle and high tidal zones. Non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination and analysis of similarity revealed that bacterial communities were significantly different among tissues (P < 0.05), but similar among tidal zones (P = 0.49). However, the archaeal communities differed among tidal zones (P < 0.05), but were similar among tissues (P = 0.89). This study indicates that: (1) the endophytic archaeal communities are influenced more significantly than the endophytic bacterial communities by soil salinity, and (2) the differential distribution patterns of bacterial and archaeal endophytes in plant tissues along a salinity gradient imply that these two groups play different roles in coastal hydrophytes.     

芽胞杆菌浸种对水稻内生细菌群落结构的影响

水稻内生细菌群落是反映植株内环境是否健康稳定的重要生物学指标,芽胞杆菌是防治水稻病害的重要生防微生物。为揭示芽胞杆菌浸种处理对水稻内生细菌群落结构的影响,采用Illumina MiSeq测序的方法对水稻内生细菌的16S rRNA基因进行测序,剖析了芽胞杆菌浸种处理对不同水稻组织内生细菌的微生态调控作用。结果表明,3种芽胞杆菌浸种处理可以提高水稻根和茎部内生细菌群落的丰富度和均匀度,降低叶部内生细菌群落的丰富度和均匀度,显著增加根部内生细菌群落多样性。变形菌门(Proteobacteria)、厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)和拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)是水稻根部和茎部共有优势菌门,厚壁菌门和芽胞杆菌属(Bacillus)是叶部共有优势菌门和属。芽胞杆菌浸种处理显著提高了叶部内生厚壁菌门和芽胞杆菌属的相对丰度,增加了根系和茎部组织内生细菌的分类单元OTU(Operational Taxonomic Units)数量,对叶部组织影响不明显;降低了茎部和叶部中参与各种代谢通路的内生细菌丰度,显著增加了根部参与代谢通路的内生细菌丰度。因此,3种芽胞杆菌浸种处理可以显著改变水稻根部、茎部和叶部内生细菌群落结构,改善水稻生长的微生态环境。     

香蕉植株内生细菌群落多态性研究

采用平板法对香蕉(Musa nana)植株的内生细菌进行分离纯化,并采用细菌脂肪酸法进行鉴定。结果表明,从香蕉的健康植株和感病植株中共分离得到内生细菌21属24种。从健株分离得到9种内生细菌,其中根、茎和叶分别分离到6种、2种和8种内生细菌。从病株分离得到15属17种内生细菌,其中根、茎和叶分别分离到3种、11种和6种。香蕉健株根部的内生细菌含量最高,达5.195×106cfu g-1,下部叶片内生细菌的含量最低,仅为30 cfu g-1;香蕉病株茎部内生细菌的数量显著高于其他部位,达1.05×107cfu g-1。这说明香蕉在不同生长状态下,其内生细菌的种类和数量存在多样性。     

Endophytic bacteria in long-term in vitro cultivated “axenic” pineapple microplants revealed by PCR–DGGE

In vitro propagated plants are believed to be free of microbes. However, after 5 years of in vitro culture of pineapple plants, without evidence of microbial contamination, the use of culture-independent molecular approach [classifying heterogeneous nucleic acids amplified via universal and specific 16S rRNA gene by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)], and further analysis by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) revealed endophytic bacteria in roots, young and mature leaves of such plants. The amplification of 16S rRNA gene (Bacteria domain) with the exclusion of the plant chloroplast DNA interference, confirmed the presence of bacterial DNA, from endophytic microorganisms within microplant tissues. PCR–DGGE analysis revealed clear differences on bacterial communities depending on plant organ. Group-specific DGGE analyses also indicated differences in the structures of Actinobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria communities in each part of plants. The results suggest the occurrence of a succession of bacterial communities colonizing actively the microplants organs. This study is the first report that brings together evidences that pineapple microplants, previously considered axenic, harbor an endophytic bacterial community encompassing members of Actinobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria group which is responsive to differences in organs due to plant development.     

Characterization of the cultivable bacterial populations associated with field grown Brassica napus L.: an evaluation of sampling and isolation protocols

Plant‐associated bacteria are intensively investigated concerning their characteristics for plant growth promotion, biocontrol mechanisms and enhanced phytoremediation efficiency. To obtain endophytes, different sampling and isolation protocols are used although their representativeness is not always clearly demonstrated. The objective of this study was to acquire representative pictures of the cultivable bacterial root, stem and leaf communities for all Brassica napus L. individuals growing on the same field. For each plant organ, genotypic identifications of the endophytic communities were performed using three replicates. Root replicates were composed of three total root systems, whereas stem and leaf replicates needed to consist of six independent plant parts in order to be representative. Greater variations between replicates were found when considering phenotypic characteristics. Correspondence analysis revealed reliable phenotypic results for roots and even shoots, but less reliable ones for leaves. Additionally, realistic Shannon–Wiener biodiversity indices were calculated for all three organs and showed similar Evenness factors. Furthermore, it was striking that all replicates and thus the whole plant contained Pseudomonas and Bacillus strains although aboveground and belowground plant tissues differed in most dominant bacterial genera and characteristics.     

Highly diverse endophytes in roots of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cycas bifida</Emphasis> (Cycadaceae), an ancient but endangered gymnosperm

As an ancient seed plant, cycads are one of the few gymnosperms that develop a root symbiosis with cyanobacteria, which has allowed cycads to cope with harsh geologic and climatic conditions during the evolutionary process. However, the endophytic microbes in cycad roots remain poorly identified. In this study, using next-generation sequencing techniques, we investigated the microbial diversity and composition of both the coralloid and regular roots of Cycas bifida (Dyer) K.D. Hill. Highly diverse endophytic communities were observed in both the coralloid and regular roots. Of the associated bacteria, the top five families were the Nostocaceae, Sinobacteraceae, Bradyrhizobiaceae, Bacillaceae, and Hyphomicrobiaceae. The Nectriaceae, Trichocomaceae, and Incertae sedis were the predominant fungal families in all root samples. A significant difference in the endophytic bacterial community was detected between coralloid roots and regular roots, but no difference was observed between the fungal communities in the two root types. Cyanobacteria were more dominant in coralloid roots than in regular roots. The divergence of cycad root structures and the modified physiological processes may have contributed to the abundance of cyanobionts in coralloid roots. Consequently, the colonization of cyanobacteria inhibits the assemblage of other endophytes. Our results contribute to an understanding of the species diversity and composition of the cycad-endophyte microbiome and provide an abbreviated list of potential ecological roles of the core microbes present.     

Changes amid constancy: Flower and leaf microbiomes along land use gradients and between bioregions

Microbial communities inhabiting above-ground parts of plants affect their host's development, fitness and function. Although studies on plant-associated microbes are of growing interest, environmental drivers of flower microbiomes in particular are poorly characterized. In this study, we investigated flower and leaf epiphytic bacterial microbiomes of Ranunculus acris and Trifolium pratense using metabarcoding of 16S ribosomal DNA in three German bioregions and along land-use intensity gradients. Our data suggests that the structures of bacterial communities clearly differed between plant species and tissue types. Also, floral bacterial communities of R. acris showed higher variability in comparison to T. pratense. Bacteria usually associated with pollinators were found solely in flower samples, while bacteria usually associated with the rhizosphere were only present in high abundances on leaves. We identified Pseudomonadaceae, Enterobacteriaceae and Sphingomonadaceae as the most abundant taxa on flowers, while Sphingomonadaceae, Methylobacteriaceae and Cytophagaceae dominated bacterial communities on leaves. We found that bacterial communities did not differ between long-distant regions. However, there was a turnover within each bioregion between short-distant locations. High land use intensity caused phylogenetically less diverse and more homogenous bacterial communities with an exception of T. pratense flowers. This was associated with a loss of rare bacterial families. Intensification of mowing affected the bacterial communities associated with leaves of T. pratense and fertilization led to more homogenous flower and leaf communities of R. acris, while grazing had no effects on the bacterial community composition. However, dominant taxa were not affected by land use intensification. Despite that, we identified indicator taxa for regularly disturbed environments in flower microbiomes. In conclusion, our study contributes to the knowledge about microbial community structures of the phyllosphere and extends the understanding of their community dynamics with respect to biogeographical separation and anthropogenic changes of the environment.     

Changes in Root Bacterial Communities Associated to Two Different Development Stages of Canola (Brassica napus L. var oleifera) Evaluated through Next-Generation Sequencing Technology

Crop production may benefit from plant growth-promoting bacteria. The knowledge on bacterial communities is indispensable in agricultural systems that intend to apply beneficial bacteria to improve plant health and production of crops such as canola. In this work, the diversity of root bacterial communities associated to two different developmental phases of canola (Brassica napus L.) plants was assessed through the application of new generation sequencing technology. Total bacterial DNA was extracted from root samples from two different growth states of canola (rosette and flowering). It could be shown how bacterial communities inside the roots changed with the growing stage of the canola plants. There were differences in the abundance of the genera, family, and even the phyla identified for each sample. While in both root samples Proteobacteria was the most common phylum, at the rosette stage, the most common bacteria belonged to the family Pseudomonadaceae and the genus Pseudomonas, and in the flowering stage, the Xanthomonadaceae family and the genus Xanthomonas dominated the community. This implies in a switch in the predominant bacteria in the different developmental stages of the plant, suggesting that the plant itself interferes with the associated microbial community.     

Characterization of endophytic bacteria associated with rose plant (Rosa damascena trigintipeta) during flowering stage and their plant growth promoting traits

Little is known about the bacterial communities associated with the rose plants inhabiting dry desert ecosystems. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize endophytic bacteria from different organs of rose plant. Endophytic bacteria were observed in healthy roots, stems, leaves, and flowers of rose plant, with a significantly higher density in roots, followed by stems, leaves, and petals. A total of 38 bacterial endophytes were isolated and are closely related phylogenetically to Acetobacter, Acinetobacter, Methylococcus, Bacillus, Micrococcus, Planococcus by 16S rRNA sequence analysis. Six endophytic bacteria were found to produce IAA, solubilize Ca₃(PO₄)₂ and produce siderophore. The six endophytic bacteria all had the capacity to produce hydrolytic enzyme such as cellulase, xylanase, pectinase, amylase, protease, lipase, and chitinase, but difference existed among these isolates.     

A fungal powdery mildew pathogen induces extensive local and marginal systemic changes in the Arabidopsis thaliana microbiota

Powdery mildew is a foliar disease caused by epiphytically growing obligate biotrophic ascomycete fungi. How powdery mildew colonization affects host resident microbial communities locally and systemically remains poorly explored. We performed powdery mildew (Golovinomyces orontii) infection experiments with Arabidopsis thaliana grown in either natural soil or a gnotobiotic system and studied the influence of pathogen invasion into standing natural multi-kingdom or synthetic bacterial communities (SynComs). We found that after infection of soil-grown plants, G. orontii outcompeted numerous resident leaf-associated fungi while fungal community structure in roots remained unaltered. We further detected a significant shift in foliar but not root-associated bacterial communities in this setup. Pre-colonization of germ-free A. thaliana leaves with a bacterial leaf-derived SynCom, followed by G. orontii invasion, induced an overall similar shift in the foliar bacterial microbiota and minor changes in the root-associated bacterial assemblage. However, a standing root-derived SynCom in root samples remained robust against foliar infection with G. orontii. Although pathogen growth was unaffected by the leaf SynCom, fungal infection caused a twofold increase in leaf bacterial load. Our findings indicate that G. orontii infection affects mainly microbial communities in local plant tissue, possibly driven by pathogen-induced changes in source-sink relationships and host immune status.     

Impact of Agricultural Practices on the Zea mays L. Endophytic Community

Agricultural practices are known to alter bulk soil microbial communities, but little is known about the effect of such practices on the plant endophytic community. We assessed the influence of long-term applications (20 years) of herbicides and different fertilizer types on the endophytic community of maize plants grown in different field experiments. Nested PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analyses targeting general bacteria, type I or II methanotrophs, actinomycetes, and general fungi were used to fingerprint the endophytic community in the roots of Zea mays L. Low intraplant variability (reproducible DGGE patterns) was observed for the bacterial, type I methanotroph, and fungal communities, whereas the patterns for endophytic actinomycetes exhibited high intraplant variability. No endophytic amplification product was obtained for type II methanotrophs. Cluster and stability analysis of the endophytic type I methanotroph patterns differentiated maize plants cultivated by using mineral fertilizer from plants cultivated by using organic fertilizer with a 100% success rate. In addition, lower methanotroph richness was observed for mineral-fertilized plants than for organically fertilized plants. The use of herbicides could not be traced by fingerprinting the endophytic type I methanotrophs or by evaluating any other endophytic microbial group. Our results indicate that the effect of agrochemicals is not limited to the bulk microbial community but also includes the root endophytic community. It is not clear if this effect is due to a direct effect on the root endophytic community or is due to changes in the bulk community, which are then reflected in the root endophytic community.     

不同水稻组织内生细菌的群落多样性

[目的]为详细了解水稻不同组织内生细菌群落多样性。[方法]对宁粳43号内生细菌的总DNA提取后,采用高通量测序技术对水稻内生细菌的16S rRNA基因进行了序列测定,分析了水稻不同组织部位内生细菌群落结构特征。[结果]叶部共获得内生细菌OTUs 610个,茎部411个,根部174个。物种分类显示,叶部内生细菌种类隶属于22门40纲103目198科399属,其中优势类群是红球菌属（Rhodococcus）和乳酸杆菌属（Lactobacillus）,它们的相对丰度分别为21.00%和9.19%;茎部内生细菌种类隶属于19门31纲85目169科306属,其中优势类群是红球菌属和罗尔斯通菌属（Ralstonia）,它们的相对丰度分别为19.25%和13.52%;根部内生细菌种类隶属于9门19纲44目82科140属,其中优势类群是肠杆菌属（Enterobacter）和埃希氏杆菌属（Escherichia）,它们的相对丰度分别为81.13%和10.89%。根茎叶中相同的OTU有78个,放线菌门（Actinobacteria）与大多数细菌具有相关性。根系内生细菌中具有调控各种代谢网络功能的物种丰度高于茎部和叶部。[结论]不同水稻组织内生细菌具有丰富的群落多样性,其中叶部的内生细菌物种最丰富,根系参与各种代谢调控的细菌丰度最高,各个组织部位的优势菌属各不相同,变形菌门是最重要的水稻内生细菌。     

Diversity of predominant endophytic bacteria in European deciduous and coniferous trees

The diversity of endophytic bacteria residing in root, stem, and leaf tissues was examined in coniferous and deciduous tree species, Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), silver birch (Betula pendula Roth), and rowan (Sorbus aucuparia L.). Using cultivation-dependent and -independent analyses, the bacterial communities were observed to be significantly different in the belowground (roots and rhizosphere) and aboveground (leaves and stems) samples of the respective host trees. No significant differences, with respect to the different tree species, were observed in the associated communities. Predominant cultivable endophytes isolated included bacteria closely related to Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, Paenibacillus spp., and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus. Comparisons of the most abundant cultivable bacteria in the rhizosphere and root samples suggested that root endophytic bacteria may be in residence through processes of selection or active colonization rather than by passive diffusion from the rhizosphere.     

Comparative study of endophytic and endophytic diazotrophic bacterial communities across rice landraces grown in the highlands of northern Thailand

Communities of bacterial endophytes within the rice landraces cultivated in the highlands of northern Thailand were studied using fingerprinting data of 16S rRNA and nifH genes profiling by polymerase chain reaction–denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. The bacterial communities’ richness, diversity index, evenness, and stability were varied depending on the plant tissues, stages of growth, and rice cultivars. These indices for the endophytic diazotrophic bacteria within the landrace rice Bue Wah Bo were significantly the lowest. The endophytic bacteria revealed greater diversity by cluster analysis with seven clusters compared to the endophytic diazotrophic bacteria (three clusters). Principal component analysis suggested that the endophytic bacteria showed that the community structures across the rice landraces had a higher stability than those of the endophytic diazotrophic bacteria. Uncultured bacteria were found dominantly in both bacterial communities, while higher generic varieties were observed in the endophytic diazotrophic bacterial community. These differences in bacterial communities might be influenced either by genetic variation in the rice landraces or the rice cultivation system, where the nitrogen input affects the endophytic diazotrophic bacterial community.     

Diversity of Cultivated Endophytic Bacteria from Sugarcane: Genetic and Biochemical Characterization of Burkholderia cepacia Complex Isolates

Bacteria were isolated from the rhizosphere and from inside the roots and stems of sugarcane plants grown in the field in Brazil. Endophytic bacteria were found in both the roots and the stems of sugarcane plants, with a significantly higher density in the roots. Many of the cultivated endophytic bacteria were shown to produce the plant growth hormone indoleacetic acid, and this trait was more frequently found among bacteria from the stem. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that the selected isolates of the endophytic bacterial community of sugarcane belong to the genera of Burkholderia, Pantoea, Pseudomonas, and Microbacterium. Bacterial isolates belonging to the genus Burkholderia were the most predominant among the endophytic bacteria. Many of the Burkholderia isolates produced the antifungal metabolite pyrrolnitrin, and all were able to grow at 37°C. Phylogenetic analyses of the 16S rRNA gene and recA gene sequences indicated that the endophytic Burkholderia isolates from sugarcane are closely related to clinical isolates of the Burkholderia cepacia complex and clustered with B. cenocepacia (gv. III) isolates from cystic fibrosis patients. These results suggest that isolates of the B. cepacia complex are an integral part of the endophytic bacterial community of sugarcane in Brazil and reinforce the hypothesis that plant-associated environments may act as a niche for putative opportunistic human pathogenic bacteria.     

Analysis of Plant-Bacteria Interactions in Their Native Habitat: Bacterial Communities Associated with Wild Tobacco Are Independent of Endogenous Jasmonic Acid Levels and Developmental Stages

Jasmonic acid (JA) mediates defense responses against herbivores and necrotrophic pathogens but does it influence the recruitment of bacterial communities in the field? We conducted field and laboratory experiments with transformed Nicotiana attenuata plants deficient in jasmonate biosynthesis (irAOC) and empty vector controls (EV) to answer this question. Using both culture-dependent and independent techniques, we characterized root and leaf-associated bacterial communities over five developmental stages, from rosette through flowering of plants grown in their natural habitat. Based on the pyrosequencing results, alpha and beta diversity did not differ among EV and irAOC plants or over ontogeny, but some genera were more abundant in one of the genotypes. Furthermore, bacterial communities were significantly different among leaves and roots. Taxa isolated only from one or both plant genotypes and hence classified as ‘specialists’ and ‘generalists’ were used in laboratory tests to further evaluate the patterns observed from the field. The putative specialist taxa did not preferentially colonize the jasmonate-deficient genotype, or alter the plant''s elicited phytohormone signaling. We conclude that in N. attenuata, JA signaling does not have a major effect on structuring the bacterial communities and infer that colonization of plant tissues is mainly shaped by the local soil community in which the plant grows.