Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Ningbo Urban Environment Observation and Research Station, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, China.
Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Urban Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, CAS Haixi Industrial Technology Innovation Center in Beilun, Ningbo, China.
mSphere. 2024 Jan 30;9(1):e0060723. doi: 10.1128/msphere.00607-23. Epub 2023 Dec 12.
The plant microbiome plays a critical role in plant growth, development, and health, with endophytes being recognized as essential members due to their close interactions with host plants. However, knowledge gaps remain in understanding the mechanisms driving the colonization and establishment of endophytic communities. To address this issue, we investigated the microbiota of tobacco roots and leaves, including both epiphytic and endophytic microorganisms. We found that Actinobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria were significantly enriched in the root endosphere. Additionally, we identified higher abundances of functional traits involved in antibiotic synthesis, plant cell wall degradation, iron metabolism, secretion systems, and nicotine degradation enzymes in the endosphere. We further studied metagenome-assembled genomes from the rhizosphere and root endosphere, revealing a greater diversity of secondary metabolites in bacteria within the root endosphere. Together, this study provides insights into the taxonomic and functional assembly cues that may contribute to shaping the endophytic plant microbiota.IMPORTANCEThe presence of diverse microorganisms within plant tissues under natural conditions is a well-established fact. However, due to the plant immune system's barrier and the unique microhabitat of the plant interior, it remains unclear what specific characteristics bacteria require to successfully colonize and thrive in the plant endosphere. Recognizing the significance of unraveling these functional features, our study focused on investigating the enriched traits in the endophytic microbiota compared to the epiphytes. Through our research, we have successfully identified the taxonomic and functional assembly cues that drive the enrichment of the endophytic microbiota across the epiphytic compartments. These findings shed new light on the intricate mechanisms of endophyte colonization, thereby deepening our understanding of plant-microbe interactions and paving the way for further advancements in microbiome manipulation.
植物微生物组在植物生长、发育和健康中起着关键作用，内共生体由于与宿主植物的密切相互作用而被认为是必不可少的成员。然而，对于驱动内共生体定殖和建立的机制，仍存在知识空白。为了解决这个问题，我们研究了烟草根和叶的微生物组，包括附生和内生微生物。我们发现放线菌和α变形菌在根内共生体中显著富集。此外，我们还发现内共生体中参与抗生素合成、植物细胞壁降解、铁代谢、分泌系统和尼古丁降解酶的功能特征的丰度更高。我们进一步研究了根际和根内共生体的宏基因组组装基因组，揭示了根内共生体中细菌的次生代谢物多样性更高。综上所述，这项研究为可能有助于塑造内共生植物微生物组的分类和功能组装线索提供了深入了解。
在自然条件下，植物组织内存在着多种多样的微生物，这是一个既定事实。然而，由于植物免疫系统的屏障和植物内部的独特微生境，目前尚不清楚细菌需要具备哪些特定特征才能成功地在植物内共生体中定殖和生长。认识到揭示这些功能特征的重要性，我们的研究重点是调查与附生体相比，内共生体微生物群中富集的特征。通过我们的研究，我们成功地确定了驱动内共生体微生物群在附生体隔室中富集的分类和功能组装线索。这些发现为内共生体定殖的复杂机制提供了新的认识，从而加深了我们对植物-微生物相互作用的理解，并为进一步进行微生物组操纵铺平了道路。
