1. Host genotype and age shape the leaf and root microbiomes of a wild perennial plant.
- Author
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Wagner MR, Lundberg DS, Del Rio TG, Tringe SG, Dangl JL, and Mitchell-Olds T
- Subjects
- Brassicaceae genetics, Genotype, RNA, Ribosomal, 16S genetics, Soil, Soil Microbiology, Brassicaceae microbiology, Gene-Environment Interaction, Microbiota genetics, Plant Leaves microbiology, Plant Roots microbiology
- Abstract
Bacteria living on and in leaves and roots influence many aspects of plant health, so the extent of a plant's genetic control over its microbiota is of great interest to crop breeders and evolutionary biologists. Laboratory-based studies, because they poorly simulate true environmental heterogeneity, may misestimate or totally miss the influence of certain host genes on the microbiome. Here we report a large-scale field experiment to disentangle the effects of genotype, environment, age and year of harvest on bacterial communities associated with leaves and roots of Boechera stricta (Brassicaceae), a perennial wild mustard. Host genetic control of the microbiome is evident in leaves but not roots, and varies substantially among sites. Microbiome composition also shifts as plants age. Furthermore, a large proportion of leaf bacterial groups are shared with roots, suggesting inoculation from soil. Our results demonstrate how genotype-by-environment interactions contribute to the complexity of microbiome assembly in natural environments.
- Published
- 2016
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