A plant genetic network for preventing dysbiosis in the phyllosphere

Enhancing the phytoextraction efficiency of heavy metals in acidic and alkaline soils by Sedum alfredii Hance: A study on the synergistic effect of plant growth regulator and plant growth-promoting bacteria

Plant growth regulators (PGR) and plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) have the potential in phytoremediation of heavy metals (HMs) contaminated soils. However, their sole application may not yield the optimal results, thus necessitating the combined application. The present study aimed to enhance the phytoremediation efficiency of Sedum alfredii Hance (S. alfredii) in acidic and alkaline soils through the combination of PGR (Brassinolide, BR) and PGPB (Pseudomonas fluorescens, P. fluorescens). The combination of BR and P. fluorescens (BRB treatment) effectively increased the removal efficiency of S. alfredii for Cd, Pb, and Zn by 355.2 and 155.3 %, 470.1 and 128.9 %, and 408.4 and 209.6 %, in acidic and alkaline soils, respectively. Moreover, BRB treatment led to a substantial increase in photosynthetic pigments contents and antioxidant enzymes activities, resulting in a remarkable increase in biomass (86.71 and 47.22 %) and dry mass (101.49 and 42.29 %) of plants grown in acidic and alkaline soils, respectively. Similarly, BRB treatment significantly elevated the Cd (109.4 and 71.36 %), Pb (174.9 and 48.03 %), and Zn levels (142.8 and 104.3 %) in S. alfredii shoots, along with cumulative accumulation of Cd (122.7 and 79.47 %), Pb (183.8 and 60.49 %), and Zn (150.7 and 117.9 %), respectively. In addition, the BRB treatment lowered the soil pH and DTPA-HMs contents, while augmenting soil enzymatic activities, thereby contributing soil microecology and facilitating the HMs absorption and translocation by S. alfredii to over-ground tissues. Furthermore, the evaluation of microbial community structure in phyllosphere and rhizosphere after remediation revealed the shift in microbial abundance. The combined treatment altered the principal effects on S. alfredii HMs accumulation from bacterial diversity to the soil HMs availability. In summary, our findings demonstrated that synergistic application of BR and P. fluorescens represents a viable approach to strengthen the phytoextraction efficacy of S. alfredii in varying soils.

Logistics of defense: The contribution of endomembranes to plant innate immunity

Phytopathogens cause plant diseases that threaten food security. Unlike mammals, plants lack an adaptive immune system and rely on their innate immune system to recognize and respond to pathogens. Plant response to a pathogen attack requires precise coordination of intracellular traffic and signaling. Spatial and/or temporal defects in coordinating signals and cargo can lead to detrimental effects on cell development. The role of intracellular traffic comes into a critical focus when the cell sustains biotic stress. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of the post-immune activation logistics of plant defense. Specifically, we focus on packaging and shipping of defense-related cargo, rerouting of intracellular traffic, the players enabling defense-related traffic, and pathogen-mediated subversion of these pathways. We highlight the roles of the cytoskeleton, cytoskeleton-organelle bridging proteins, and secretory vesicles in maintaining pathways of exocytic defense, acting as sentinels during pathogen attack, and the necessary elements for building the cell wall as a barrier to pathogens. We also identify points of convergence between mammalian and plant trafficking pathways during defense and highlight plant unique responses to illustrate evolutionary adaptations that plants have undergone to resist biotic stress.

Non-selective microbiota reduction after the elicitation of a seaweed's immune response

Pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) is an integral part of the innate immune system of many eukaryotic hosts, assisting in the defence against pathogen invasions. In plants and animals, PTI exerts a selective pressure on the microbiota that can alter community composition. However, the effect of PTI on the microbiota for non-model hosts, including seaweeds, remains unknown. Using quantitative polymerase chain reaction complemented with 16S rRNA gene and transcript amplicon sequencing, this study profiled the impact that PTI of the red seaweed Gracilaria gracilis has on its microbiota. PTI elicitation with agar oligosaccharides resulted in a significant reduction in the number of bacteria (by >75% within 72 h after treatment). However, the PTI elicitation did not cause any significant difference in the community diversity or structure. These findings demonstrated that PTI can be non-selective, and this might help to maintain a stable microbiota by uniformly reducing bacterial loads.

Extracellular niche establishment by plant pathogens

The plant extracellular space, referred to as the apoplast, is inhabited by a variety of microorganisms. Reflecting the crucial nature of this compartment, both plants and microorganisms seek to control, exploit and respond to its composition. Upon sensing the apoplastic environment, pathogens activate virulence programmes, including the delivery of effectors with well-established roles in suppressing plant immunity. We posit that another key and foundational role of effectors is niche establishment - specifically, the manipulation of plant physiological processes to enrich the apoplast in water and nutritive metabolites. Facets of plant immunity counteract niche establishment by restricting water, nutrients and signals for virulence activation. The complex competition to control and, in the case of pathogens, exploit the apoplast provides remarkable insights into the nature of virulence, host susceptibility, host defence and, ultimately, the origin of phytopathogenesis. This novel framework focuses on the ecology of a microbial niche and highlights areas of future research on plant-microorganism interactions.

Long-Term Consequences of PTI Activation and Its Manipulation by Root-Associated Microbiota

In nature, plants are constantly colonized by a massive diversity of microbes engaged in mutualistic, pathogenic or commensal relationships with the host. Molecular patterns present in these microbes activate pattern-triggered immunity (PTI), which detects microbes in the apoplast or at the tissue surface. Whether and how PTI distinguishes among soil-borne pathogens, opportunistic pathogens, and commensal microbes within the soil microbiota remains unclear. PTI is a multimodal series of molecular events initiated by pattern perception, such as Ca2+ influx, reactive oxygen burst, and extensive transcriptional and metabolic reprogramming. These short-term responses may manifest within minutes to hours, while the long-term consequences of chronic PTI activation persist for days to weeks. Chronic activation of PTI is detrimental to plant growth, so plants need to coordinate growth and defense depending on the surrounding biotic and abiotic environments. Recent studies have demonstrated that root-associated commensal microbes can activate or suppress immune responses to variable extents, clearly pointing to the role of PTI in root-microbiota interactions. However, the molecular mechanisms by which root commensals interfere with root immunity and root immunity modulates microbial behavior remain largely elusive. Here, with a focus on the difference between short-term and long-term PTI responses, we summarize what is known about microbial interference with host PTI, especially in the context of root microbiota. We emphasize some missing pieces that remain to be characterized to promote the ultimate understanding of the role of plant immunity in root-microbiota interactions.

Impacts of fertilization methods on Salvia miltiorrhiza quality and characteristics of the epiphytic microbial community

Plant epiphytic microorganisms have established a unique symbiotic relationship with plants, which has a significant impact on their growth, immune defense, and environmental adaptation. However, the impact of fertilization methods on the epiphytic microbial community and their correlation with the yield and quality of medicinal plant was still unclear. In current study, we conducted a field fertilization experiment and analyzed the composition of epiphytic bacterial and fungal communities employing high throughput sequencing data in different organs (roots, stems, and leaves) of Salvia miltiorrhiza, as well as their correlation with plant growth. The results showed that fertilization significantly affected the active ingredients and hormone content, soil physicochemical properties, and the composition of epiphytic microbial communities. After fertilization, the plant surface was enriched with a core microbial community mainly composed of bacteria from Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria, as well as fungi from Zygomycota and Ascomycota. Additionally, plant growth hormones were the principal factors leading to alterations in the epiphytic microbial community of S. miltiorrhiza. Thus, the most effective method of fertilization involved the application of base fertilizer in combination with foliar fertilizer. This study provides a new perspective for studying the correlation between microbial community function and the quality of S. miltiorrhiza, and also provides a theoretical basis for the cultivation and sustainable development of high-quality medicinal plants.

The European trees phyllosphere characteristics and its potential in air bioremediation

The air pollution remediation is naturally carried out by plants. Their overground parts called phyllosphere are a type of a natural filter on which pollutants can be adsorb. Moreover, microbial communities living in phyllosphere perform a variety of biochemical processes removing also chemical pollutants. As their pollution is nowadays a burning issue especially for highly developed countries, the development of effective and ecological technologies for air treatment are of the utmost importance. The use of phyllosphere bacteria in the process of air bioremediation is a promising technology. This article reviews the role of phyllospheric bacteria in air bioremediation processes especially linked with the moderate climate plants. Research results published so far indicate that phyllosphere bacteria are able to metabolize the air pollutants but their potential is strictly determined by plant-phyllospheric bacteria interaction. The European tree species most commonly used for this purpose are also presented. The collected information filled the gap in the practical use of tree species in air bioremediation in the moderate climate zone.

Epiphytic and endophytic bacteria on Camellia oleifera phyllosphere: exploring region and cultivar effect

The epiphytic and endophytic bacteria play an important role in the healthy growth of plants. Both plant species and growth environmental influence the bacterial population diversity, yet it is inconclusive whether it is the former or the latter that has a greater impact. To explore the communities of the epiphytic and endophytic microbes in Camellia oleifera, this study assessed three representative C. oleifera cultivars from three areas in Hunan, China by Illumina high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that the diversity and species richness of endophytic microbial community in leaves were significantly higher than those of microbial community in the epiphytic. The diversity and species richness of epiphytic and endophytic microbes are complex when the same cultivar was grown in different areas. The C. oleifera cultivars grown in Youxian had the highest diversity of epiphytic microbial community, but the lowest abundance, while the cultivars grown in Changsha had the highest diversity and species richness of endophytic microbes in leaves. It was concluded that the dominant phylum mainly included Proteobacteria, Actinobacteriota and Firmicutes through the analysis of the epiphytic and endophytic microbial communities of C. oleifera. The species and relative abundances of epiphytic and endophytic microbial community were extremely different at the genus level. The analysis of NMDS map and PERMANOVA shows that the species richness and diversity of microbial communities in epiphytes are greatly influenced by region. However, the community structure of endophytic microorganisms in leaves is influenced by region and cultivated varieties, but the influence of cultivars is more significant. Molecular ecological network analysis showed that the symbiotic interaction of epiphytic microbial community was more complex.

Characteristics of the phyllosphere microbial community and its relationship with major aroma precursors during the tobacco maturation process

Numerous bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms in the tobacco phyllosphere interstellar area participate in the physiological metabolism of plants by interacting with the host. However, there is currently little research on the characteristics of tobacco phyllosphere microbial communities, and the correlation between tobacco phyllosphere microbial communities and phyllosphere factor indicators is still unknown. Therefore, high-throughput sequencing technology based on the 16S rRNA/ITS1 gene was used to explore the diversity and composition characteristics of tobacco phyllosphere bacterial and fungal communities from different maturation processes, and to identify marker genera that distinguish phyllosphere microbial communities. In this study, the correlations between tobacco phyllosphere bacterial and fungal communities and the precursors of major aroma compounds were explored. The results showed that as the tobacco plants matured, the density of glandular trichomes on the tobacco leaves gradually decreased. The surface physicochemical properties of tobacco leaves also undergo significant changes. In addition, the overall bacterial alpha diversity in the tobacco phyllosphere area increased with maturation, while the overall fungal alpha diversity decreased. The beta diversity of bacteria and fungi in the tobacco phyllosphere area also showed significant differences. Specifically, with later top pruning time, the relative abundances of Acidisoma, Ralstonia, Bradyrhizobium, Alternaria and Talaromyces gradually increased, while the relative abundances of Pseudomonas, Filobassidium, and Tausonia gradually decreased. In the bacterial community, Acidisoma, Ralstonia, Bradyrhizobium, and Alternaria were significantly positively correlated with tobacco aroma precursors, with significant negative correlations with tobacco phyllosphere trichome morphology, while Pseudomonas showed the opposite pattern; In the fungal community, Filobasidium and Tausonia were significantly negatively correlated with tobacco aroma precursors, and significantly positively correlated with tobacco phyllosphere trichome morphology, while Alternaria showed the opposite pattern. In conclusion, the microbiota (bacteria and fungi) and aroma precursors of the tobacco phyllosphere change significantly as tobacco matures. The presence of Acidisoma, Ralstonia, Bradyrhizobium and Alternaria in the phyllosphere microbiota of tobacco may be related to the aroma precursors of tobacco.

Small peptides: novel targets for modulating plant-rhizosphere microbe interactions

The crucial role of rhizosphere microbes in plant growth and their resilience to environmental stresses underscores the intricate communication between microbes and plants. Plants are equipped with a diverse set of signaling molecules that facilitate communication across different biological kingdoms, although our comprehension of these mechanisms is still evolving. Small peptides produced by plants (SPPs) and microbes (SPMs) play a pivotal role in intracellular signaling and are essential in orchestrating various plant development stages. In this review, we posit that SPPs and SPMs serve as crucial signaling agents for the bidirectional cross-kingdom communication between plants and rhizosphere microbes. We explore several potential mechanistic pathways through which this communication occurs. Additionally, we propose that leveraging small peptides, inspired by plant-rhizosphere microbe interactions, represents an innovative approach in the field of holobiont engineering.

Community coalescence and plant host filtering determine the spread of tetracycline resistance genes from pig manure into the microbiome continuum of the soil-plant system

The spread of livestock manure-borne antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) into agroecosystems through manure application poses a potential threat to human health. However, there is still a knowledge gap concerning ARG dissemination in coalescing manure, soil and plant microbiomes. Here, we examined the fate of tetracycline resistance genes (TRGs) originating from pig manure microbiomes and spread in the soil-A thaliana system and explored the effects of microbial functions on TRGs spread at different interfaces. Our results indicate that the TRGs abundances in all microbiome continuum of the soil-A. thaliana system were significantly increased with the application of a living manure microbiome, although the addition of manure with both an active and inactive microbiome caused a shift in the microbial community composition. This was attributed to the increasing relative abundances of tetA, tetL, tetM, tetO, tetW and tolC in the system. The application of living manure with DOX residues resulted in the highest relative abundance of total TRGs (3.30×10-3 copies/16S rRNA gene copies) in the rhizosphere soil samples. Community coalescence of the manure and soil microbiomes increased the abundance of Firmicutes in the soil and root microbiome, which directly explains the increase in TRG abundance observed in these interfaces. In contrast, the leaf microbiome differed markedly from that of the remaining samples, indicating strong plant host filtering effects on Firmicutes and TRGs from pig manure. The random forest machine learning model revealed microbial functions and their significant positive correlation with TRG abundance in the microbiome continuum of the system. Our findings revealed that community coalescence is the main driver of TRG spread from manure to the soil and root microbiomes. Plant host filtering effects play a crucial role in allowing certain microbial groups to occupy ecological niches in the leaves, thereby limiting the establishment of manure-borne TRGs in aboveground plant tissues.

Current Advances in the Functional Diversity and Mechanisms Underlying Endophyte-Plant Interactions

Plant phenotype is a complex entity largely controlled by the genotype and various environmental factors. Importantly, co-evolution has allowed plants to coexist with the biotic factors in their surroundings. Recently, plant endophytes as an external plant phenotype, forming part of the complex plethora of the plant microbial assemblage, have gained immense attention from plant scientists. Functionally, endophytes impact the plant in many ways, including increasing nutrient availability, enhancing the ability of plants to cope with both abiotic and biotic stress, and enhancing the accumulation of important plant secondary metabolites. The current state of research has been devoted to evaluating the phenotypic impacts of endophytes on host plants, including their direct influence on plant metabolite accumulation and stress response. However, there is a knowledge gap in how genetic factors influence the interaction of endophytes with host plants, pathogens, and other plant microbial communities, eventually controlling the extended microbial plant phenotype. This review will summarize how host genetic factors can impact the abundance and functional diversity of the endophytic microbial community, how endophytes influence host gene expression, and the host-endophyte-pathogen disease triangle. This information will provide novel insights into how breeders could specifically target the plant-endophyte extended phenotype for crop improvement.

Root microbiota analysis of Oryza rufipogon and Oryza sativa reveals an orientation selection during the domestication process

The root-associated microbiota has a close relation to the life activities of plants, and its composition is affected by the rhizospheric environment and plant genotypes. Rice (Oryza sativa) was domesticated from the ancestor species Oryza rufipogon. Many important agricultural traits and adversity resistance of rice have changed during a long time of natural domestication and artificial selection. However, the influence of rice genotypes on root microbiota in important agricultural traits remains to be explained. In this study, we performed 16S rRNA and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene amplicon sequencing to generate bacterial and fungal community profiles of O. rufipogon and O. sativa, both of which were planted in a farm in Guangzhou and had reached the reproductive stage. We compared their root microbiota in detail by alpha diversity, beta diversity, different species, core microbiota, and correlation analyses. We found that the relative abundance of bacteria was significantly higher in the cultivated rice than in the common wild rice, while the relative abundance of fungi was the opposite. Significant differences in agricultural traits between O. rufipogon and O. sativa showed a high correlation with core microorganisms in the two Oryza species, which only existed in either or had obviously different abundance in both two species, indicating that rice genotype/phenotype had a strong influence on recruiting specific microorganisms. Our study provides a theoretical basis for the in-depth understanding of rice root microbiota and the improvement of rice breeding from the perspective of the interaction between root microorganisms and plants.IMPORTANCEPlant root microorganisms play a vital role not only in plant growth and development but also in responding the biotic and abiotic stresses. Oryza sativa is domesticated from Oryza rufipogon which has many excellent agricultural traits especially containing resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. To improve the yield and resistance of cultivated rice, it is particularly important to deeply research on differences between O. sativa and O. rufipogon and find beneficial microorganisms to remodel the root microbiome of O. sativa.

Interactions between Epichloë endophyte and the plant microbiome impact nitrogen responses in host Achnatherum inebrians plants

The clavicipitaceous fungus Epichloë gansuensis forms symbiotic associations with drunken horse grass (Achnatherum inebrians), providing biotic and abiotic stress protection to its host. However, it is unclear how E. gansuensis affects the assembly of host plant-associated bacterial communities after ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) treatment. We examined the shoot- and root-associated bacterial microbiota and root metabolites of A. inebrians when infected (I) or uninfected (F) with E. gansuensis endophyte. The results showed more pronounced NH4+-N-induced microbial and metabolic changes in the endophyte-infected plants compared to the endophyte-free plants. E. gansuensis significantly altered bacterial community composition and β-diversity in shoots and roots and increased bacterial α-diversity under NH4+-N treatment. The relative abundance of 117 and 157 root metabolites significantly changed with E. gansuensis infection under water and NH4+-N treatment compared to endophyte-free plants. Root bacterial community composition was significantly related to the abundance of the top 30 metabolites [variable importance in the projection (VIP) > 2 and VIP > 3] contributing to differences between I and F plants, especially alkaloids. The correlation network between root microbiome and metabolites was complex. Microorganisms in the Proteobacteria and Firmicutes phyla were significantly associated with the R00693 metabolic reaction of cysteine and methionine metabolism. Co-metabolism network analysis revealed common metabolites between host plants and microorganisms.IMPORTANCEOur results suggest that the effect of endophyte infection is sensitive to nitrogen availability. Endophyte symbiosis altered the composition of shoot and root bacterial communities, increasing bacterial diversity. There was also a change in the class and relative abundance of metabolites. We found a complex co-occurrence network between root microorganisms and metabolites, with some metabolites shared between the host plant and its microbiome. The precise ecological function of the metabolites produced in response to endophyte infection remains unknown. However, some of these compounds may facilitate plant-microbe symbiosis by increasing the uptake of beneficial soil bacteria into plant tissues. Overall, these findings advance our understanding of the interactions between the microbiome, metabolome, and endophyte symbiosis in grasses. The results provide critical insight into the mechanisms by which the plant microbiome responds to nutrient stress in the presence of fungal endophytes.

Unveiling the diversity, composition, and dynamics of phyllosphere microbial communities in Alhagi sparsifolia across desert basins and seasons in Xinjiang, China

Phyllosphere microbes residing on plant leaf surfaces for maintaining plant health have gained increasing recognition. However, in desert ecosystems, knowledge about the variety, composition, and coexistence patterns of microbial communities in the phyllosphere remains limited. This study, conducted across three basins (Turpan-TLF, Tarim-CL, and Dzungaria-MSW) and three seasons (spring, summer, and autumn) in Xinjiang, China, aimed to explore the diversity and composition of microbial communities in the phyllosphere, encompassing both bacteria and fungi in Alhagi sparsifolia. We also investigated the co-occurrence patterns, influencing factors, and underlying mechanisms driving these dynamics. Results indicate that phyllosphere bacteria exhibited lower diversity indices (ACE, Shannon, Simpson, Fisher phylogenetic diversity, and Richness) in spring compared to summer and autumn, while the Goods Coverage Index (GCI) was higher in spring. Conversely, diversity indices and GCI of phyllosphere fungi showed an opposite trend. Interestingly, the lowest level of multi-functionality and niche width in phyllosphere bacteria occurred in spring, while the highest level was observed in phyllosphere fungi. Furthermore, the study revealed that no significant differences in multi-functionality were found among the regions (CL, MSW, and TLF). Network analysis highlighted that during spring, phyllosphere bacteria exhibited the lowest number of nodes, edges, and average degree, while phyllosphere fungi had the highest. Surprisingly, the multi-functionality of both phyllosphere bacteria and fungi showed no significant correlation with climatic and environmental factors but displayed a significant association with the morphological characteristics and physicochemical properties of leaves. Structural Equation Model indicated that the morphological characteristics of leaves significantly influenced the multi-functionality of phyllosphere bacteria and fungi. However, the indirect and total effects of climate on multi-functionality were greater than the effects of physicochemical properties and morphological characteristics of leaves. These findings offer new insights into leaf phyllosphere microbial community structure, laying a theoretical foundation for vegetation restoration and rational plant resource utilization in desert ecosystems.

The Dynamic Changes of Brassica napus Seed Microbiota across the Entire Seed Life in the Field

The seed microbiota is an important component given by nature to plants, protecting seeds from damage by other organisms and abiotic stress. However, little is known about the dynamic changes and potential functions of the seed microbiota during seed development. In this study, we investigated the composition and potential functions of the seed microbiota of rapeseed (Brassica napus). A total of 2496 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) belonging to 504 genera in 25 phyla were identified, and the seed microbiota of all sampling stages were divided into three groups. The microbiota of flower buds, young pods, and seeds at 20 days after flowering (daf) formed the first group; that of seeds at 30 daf, 40 daf and 50 daf formed the second group; that of mature seeds and parental seeds were clustered into the third group. The functions of seed microbiota were identified by using PICRUSt2, and it was found that the substance metabolism of seed microbiota was correlated with those of the seeds. Finally, sixty-one core ASVs, including several potential human pathogens, were identified, and a member of the seed core microbiota, Sphingomonas endophytica, was isolated from seeds and found to promote seedling growth and enhance resistance against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, a major pathogen in rapeseed. Our findings provide a novel perspective for understanding the composition and functions of microbiota during seed development and may enhance the efficiency of mining beneficial seed microbes.

Modulating phyllosphere microbiome structure and function in Loropetalum chinense and Osmanthus fragrans: The impact of foliar dust and heavy metals

Trees can effectively capture airborne particles and improve air quality. However, the specific response of phyllosphere microbiome (PMo) in different plant species to particulate matter (PM) and the heavy metals it contains are not yet fully understood. In this study, we investigated the impact of PM on the diversity and function of PMo in Loropetalum chinense and Osmanthus fragrans trees grown in industrial and clean zones with varying levels of PM pollution. Our findings revealed that leaf dust had a significant negative effect on microbial richness, with O. fragrans exhibiting higher microbial diversity than L. chinense. The dominant phylum of phyllosphere bacteria in all samples was Proteobacteria, and the dominant genera were Stenotrophomonas and Delftia. The relative abundance of these genera varied significantly among plant species and regions. Our results showed that PM had a significant impact on the community composition of PMo, with the presence of heavy metals exerting a greater effect than particle size. Moreover, the foliar microbial community of plants grown in industrial zones exhibited significantly higher metabolic functions related to stress resistance and disease resistance compared to plants in control zones. These findings highlight the structural and functional responses of PMo to PM and indicate their potential for enhancing plant adaptation to environmental stress.

Seedling microbiota engineering using bacterial synthetic community inoculation on seeds

Synthetic Communities (SynComs) are being developed and tested to manipulate plant microbiota and improve plant health. To date, only few studies proposed the use of SynCom on seed despite its potential for plant microbiota engineering. We developed and presented a simple and effective seedling microbiota engineering method using SynCom inoculation on seeds. The method was successful using a wide diversity of SynCom compositions and bacterial strains that are representative of the common bean seed microbiota. First, this method enables the modulation of seed microbiota composition and community size. Then, SynComs strongly outcompeted native seed and potting soil microbiota and contributed on average to 80% of the seedling microbiota. We showed that strain abundance on seed was a main driver of an effective seedling microbiota colonization. Also, selection was partly involved in seed and seedling colonization capacities since strains affiliated to Enterobacteriaceae and Erwiniaceae were good colonizers while Bacillaceae and Microbacteriaceae were poor colonizers. Additionally, the engineered seed microbiota modified the recruitment and assembly of seedling and rhizosphere microbiota through priority effects. This study shows that SynCom inoculation on seeds represents a promising approach to study plant microbiota assembly and its consequence on plant fitness.

MAPK Cascades in Plant Microbiota Structure and Functioning

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades are highly conserved signaling modules that coordinate diverse biological processes such as plant innate immunity and development. Recently, MAPK cascades have emerged as pivotal regulators of the plant holobiont, influencing the assembly of normal plant microbiota, essential for maintaining optimal plant growth and health. In this review, we provide an overview of current knowledge on MAPK cascades, from upstream perception of microbial stimuli to downstream host responses. Synthesizing recent findings, we explore the intricate connections between MAPK signaling and the assembly and functioning of plant microbiota. Additionally, the role of MAPK activation in orchestrating dynamic changes in root exudation to shape microbiota composition is discussed. Finally, our review concludes by emphasizing the necessity for more sophisticated techniques to accurately decipher the role of MAPK signaling in establishing the plant holobiont relationship.

Responses of plant immune system and rhizosphere soil microbiome to the elicitor BAR11 in Arabidopsis thaliana

Microbial elicitors have been shown to boost plant immunity by inducing defense responses to reduce plant disease. However, little is known about the changes in plant microbiome and metabolism in the process of enhancing plant immunity with elicitors. The protein elicitor BAR11, from Saccharothrix yanglingensis Hhs.015, induces defense responses in Arabidopsis thaliana that enhances resistance to pathogens. In this study, bar11 was inserted into Col-0 A. thaliana to obtain BAR11-Trans plant by Agrobacterium-mediated immersion transformation. BAR11-Trans exhibited an elevated defense level against Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 while experiencing a decline in biomass production of above-ground parts. In the process, BAR11-Trans increased the activity of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and catalase (CAT), and up-regulated genes related to plant defense pathways. Furthermore, BAR11-Trans decreased root tip reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels while increasing ROS burst in the leaves. Soil transplantation experiments showed that soil planted with BAR11-Trans could enhance the resistance of Col-0 A. thaliana to DC3000. Analysis of A. thaliana rhizosphere soil through 16S rRNA amplified sequencing revealed that BAR11-Trans increased the relative abundance and diversity of the rhizosphere microbial community, leading to the recruitment of more plant probiotics. Additionally, the accumulation of kaempferitrin and robinin in BAR11-Trans influenced the physicochemical properties of rhizosphere soil and the composition of the bacterial community. In summary, BAR11-Trans exhibited heightened defense levels compared to Col-0, leading to increased secretion of secondary metabolites and the recruitment of a greater number of microorganisms to adapt to the environment. These findings offer novel insights for the potential application of elicitors in agricultural disease control.

Unraveling plant-microbe interactions: can integrated omics approaches offer concrete answers?

Advances in high throughput omics techniques provide avenues to decipher plant microbiomes. However, there is limited information on how integrated informatics can help provide deeper insights into plant-microbe interactions in a concerted way. Integrating multi-omics datasets can transform our understanding of the plant microbiome from unspecified genetic influences on interacting species to specific gene-by-gene interactions. Here, we highlight recent progress and emerging strategies in crop microbiome omics research and review key aspects of how the integration of host and microbial omics-based datasets can be used to provide a comprehensive outline of complex crop-microbe interactions. We describe how these technological advances have helped unravel crucial plant and microbial genes and pathways that control beneficial, pathogenic, and commensal plant-microbe interactions. We identify crucial knowledge gaps and synthesize current limitations in our understanding of crop microbiome omics approaches. We highlight recent studies in which multi-omics-based approaches have led to improved models of crop microbial community structure and function. Finally, we recommend holistic approaches in integrating host and microbial omics datasets to achieve precision and efficiency in data analysis, which is crucial for biotic and abiotic stress control and in understanding the contribution of the microbiota in shaping plant fitness.

Applied microbiology of the phyllosphere

The phyllosphere, or plant leaf surface, represents a microbial ecosystem of considerable size, holding extraordinary biodiversity and enormous potential for the discovery of new products, tools, and applications in biotechnology, agriculture, medicine, and elsewhere. This mini-review highlights the applied microbiology of the phyllosphere as an original field of study concerning itself with the genes, gene products, natural compounds, and traits that underlie phyllosphere-specific adaptations and services that have commercial and economic value for current or future innovation. Examples include plant-growth-promoting and disease-suppressive phyllobacteria, probiotics and fermented foods that support human health, as well as microbials that remedy foliar contamination with airborne pollutants, residual pesticides, or plastics. Phyllosphere microbes promote plant biomass conversion into compost, renewable energy, animal feed, or fiber. They produce foodstuffs such as thickening agents and sugar substitutes, industrial-grade biosurfactants, novel antibiotics and cancer drugs, as well as enzymes used as food additives or freezing agents. Furthermore, new developments in DNA sequence-based profiling of leaf-associated microbial communities allow for surveillance approaches in the context of food safety and security, for example, to detect enteric human pathogens on leafy greens, predict plant disease outbreaks, and intercept plant pathogens and pests on internationally traded goods. KEY POINTS: • Applied phyllosphere microbiology concerns leaf-specific adaptations for economic value • Phyllobioprospecting searches the phyllosphere microbiome for product development • Phyllobiomonitoring tracks phyllosphere microbial profiles for early risk detection.

Symbiotic Synergy from Sponges to Humans: Microflora-Host Harmony Is Crucial for Ensuring Survival and Shielding against Invading Pathogens

Gut microbiota plays several roles in the host organism's metabolism and physiology. This phenomenon holds across different species from different kingdoms and classes. Different species across various classes engage in continuous crosstalk via various mechanisms with their gut microbiota, ensuring homeostasis of the host. In this Review, the diversity of the microflora, the development of the microflora in the host, its regulations by the host, and its functional implications on the host, especially in the context of dysbiosis, are discussed across different organisms from sponges to humans. Overall, our review aims to address the indispensable nature of the microbiome in the host's survival, fitness, and protection against invading pathogens.

Effects of repeated afidopyropen treatment on the structure and function of the soil microbial community

Chemical insecticides are the most effective pest control agents. Afidopyropen is a novel insecticide used against sap-sucking insects, such as aphids. However, the effects of repeated afidopyropen application on the structure and function of soil microorganisms remain unknown. In this study, the changes in the enzyme activities, community structure and function, and relative abundance of antibiotic resistance ontology (ARO) of soil microorganisms were investigated during three repeated afidopyropen applications under laboratory conditions at the maximum recommended dosage (M1) and 10 times the M1 (M10). The neutral phosphatase (NPA) and catalase (CAT) activities in the soil were significantly suppressed after afidopyropen treatment. The Simpson diversity index (1/D) and Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H) also decreased in both the M1 and M10 afidopyropen-treated soils, indicating a remarkable decrease in soil microorganism diversity. The average well color development (AWCD) first increased and subsequently recovered to normal levels after the third application of the insecticide, suggesting that afidopyropen application could increase the metabolic activity of soil microorganisms. Metagenomic analysis showed that repeated afidopyropen application in both the M1 and M10 treatment groups altered the community structure of soil microorganisms, albeit in different ways. Furthermore, repeated afidopyropen application significantly increased the relative ARO abundance, especially in the M10 treatment, with the most dominant AROs being adeF, baeS, and IND-6. These findings reveal the effects of excessive afidopyropen application on soil microorganisms and lay an important foundation for the comprehensive evaluation of the impact of this insecticide on the environment.

Taxonomic and functional assembly cues enrich the endophytic tobacco microbiota across epiphytic compartments

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.

Toxicity Mechanisms of Nanoplastics on Crop Growth, Interference of Phyllosphere Microbes, and Evidence for Foliar Penetration and Translocation

Despite the increasing prevalence of atmospheric nanoplastics (NPs), there remains limited research on their phytotoxicity, foliar absorption, and translocation in plants. In this study, we aimed to fill this knowledge gap by investigating the physiological effects of tomato leaves exposed to differently charged NPs and foliar absorption and translocation of NPs. We found that positively charged NPs caused more pronounced physiological effects, including growth inhibition, increased antioxidant enzyme activity, and altered gene expression and metabolite composition and even significantly changed the structure and composition of the phyllosphere microbial community. Also, differently charged NPs exhibited differential foliar absorption and translocation, with the positively charged NPs penetrating more into the leaves and dispersing uniformly within the mesophyll cells. Additionally, NPs absorbed by the leaves were able to translocate to the roots. These findings provide important insights into the interactions between atmospheric NPs and crop plants and demonstrate that NPs' accumulation in crops could negatively impact agricultural production and food safety.

Commensal lifestyle regulated by a negative feedback loop between Arabidopsis ROS and the bacterial T2SS

Despite the plant health-promoting effects of plant microbiota, these assemblages also comprise potentially detrimental microbes. How plant immunity controls its microbiota to promote plant health under these conditions remains largely unknown. We find that commensal bacteria isolated from healthy Arabidopsis plants trigger diverse patterns of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production dependent on the immune receptors and completely on the NADPH oxidase RBOHD that selectively inhibited specific commensals, notably Xanthomonas L148. Through random mutagenesis, we find that L148 gspE, encoding a type II secretion system (T2SS) component, is required for the damaging effects of Xanthomonas L148 on rbohD mutant plants. In planta bacterial transcriptomics reveals that RBOHD suppresses most T2SS gene expression including gspE. L148 colonization protected plants against a bacterial pathogen, when gspE was inhibited by ROS or mutation. Thus, a negative feedback loop between Arabidopsis ROS and the bacterial T2SS tames a potentially detrimental leaf commensal and turns it into a microbe beneficial to the host.

Depletion of protective microbiota promotes the incidence of fruit disease

Plant-associated microbiomes play important roles in plant health and productivity. However, despite fruits being directly linked to plant productivity, little is known about the microbiomes of fruits and their potential association with fruit health. Here, by integrating 16S rRNA gene, ITS high-throughput sequencing data, and microbiological culturable approaches, we reported that roots and fruits (pods) of peanut, a typical plant that bears fruits underground, recruit different bacterial and fungal communities independently of cropping conditions and that the incidence of pod disease under monocropping conditions is attributed to the depletion of Bacillus genus and enrichment of Aspergillus genus in geocarposphere. On this basis, we constructed a synthetic community (SynCom) consisting of three Bacillus strains from geocarposphere soil under rotation conditions with high culturable abundance. Comparative transcriptome, microbiome profiling, and plant phytohormone signaling analysis reveal that the SynCom exhibited more effective Aspergillus growth inhibition and pod disease control than individual strain, which was underpinned by a combination of molecular mechanisms related to fungal cell proliferation interference, mycotoxins biosynthesis impairment, and jasmonic acid-mediated plant immunity activation. Overall, our results reveal the filter effect of plant organs on the microbiome and that depletion of key protective microbial community promotes the fruit disease incidence.

Microbiome homeostasis on rice leaves is regulated by a precursor molecule of lignin biosynthesis

In terrestrial ecosystems, plant leaves provide the largest biological habitat for highly diverse microbial communities, known as the phyllosphere microbiota. However, the underlying mechanisms of host-driven assembly of these ubiquitous communities remain largely elusive. Here, we conduct a large-scale and in-depth assessment of the rice phyllosphere microbiome aimed at identifying specific host-microbe links. A genome-wide association study reveals a strong association between the plant genotype and members of four bacterial orders, Pseudomonadales, Burkholderiales, Enterobacterales and Xanthomonadales. Some of the associations are specific to a distinct host genomic locus, pathway or even gene. The compound 4-hydroxycinnamic acid (4-HCA) is identified as the main driver for enrichment of bacteria belonging to Pseudomonadales. 4-HCA can be synthesized by the host plant's OsPAL02 from the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway. A knockout mutant of OsPAL02 results in reduced Pseudomonadales abundance, dysbiosis of the phyllosphere microbiota and consequently higher susceptibility of rice plants to disease. Our study provides a direct link between a specific plant metabolite and rice phyllosphere homeostasis opening possibilities for new breeding strategies.

Separation of anti-TMV active components and modes of action of Omphalia lapidescens

BACKGROUND

Omphalia lapidescens is a saprophytic and parasitic fungus belonging to the Polypora genus of Tricholomataceae. It has repellent, insecticidal, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects.

RESULT

This study found that the extract of O. lapidescens had significant anti-TMV activity, and the main active component was homopolysaccharide LW-1 by Bioassay-guided fractionation. LW-1 is a glucan with β-(1,3) glucoside bond as the main chain and β-(1,6) glucoside bond as the branch chain, with molecular weight in the range of 172,916-338,827 Da. The protective and inactive efficacies of LW-1(100 mg/L) against TMV were 78.10% and 48.20%, but had no direct effect on the morphology of TMV particles. The results of mechanism of action showed that LW-1 induced the increase of the activity of defense enzymes such as POD, SOD and PAL in Nicotiana glutinosa. The overexpression of resistance genes such as NPR1, PR1 and PR5, and the increase of SA content. Further transcriptome sequencing showed that LW-1 activated MAPK signaling pathway, plant-pathogen interaction pathway and glucosinolide metabolic pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana. Besides, LW-1 induced crops resistance against plant pathogenic fungi.

CONCLUSION

Taken together, the anti-TMV mechanism of LW-1 was to activate MAPK signaling pathway, inducing overexpression of resistance genes, activating plant immune system, and improving the synthesis and accumulation of plant defencins such as glucosinolide. LW-1-induced plant disease resistance has the advantages of broad spectrum and long duration, which has the potential to be developed as a new antiviral agent or plant immune resistance inducer.

Leaf microbiome dysbiosis triggered by T2SS-dependent enzyme secretion from opportunistic Xanthomonas pathogens

In healthy plants, the innate immune system contributes to maintenance of microbiota homoeostasis, while disease can be associated with microbiome perturbation or dysbiosis, and enrichment of opportunistic plant pathogens like Xanthomonas. It is currently unclear whether the microbiota change occurs independently of the opportunistic pathogens or is caused by the latter. Here we tested if protein export through the type-2 secretion system (T2SS) by Xanthomonas causes microbiome dysbiosis in Arabidopsis thaliana in immunocompromised plants. We found that Xanthomonas strains secrete a cocktail of plant cell wall-degrading enzymes that promote Xanthomonas growth during infection. Disease severity and leaf tissue degradation were increased in A. thaliana mutants lacking the NADPH oxidase RBOHD. Experiments with gnotobiotic plants, synthetic bacterial communities and wild-type or T2SS-mutant Xanthomonas revealed that virulence and leaf microbiome composition are controlled by the T2SS. Overall, a compromised immune system in plants can enrich opportunistic pathogens, which damage leaf tissues and ultimately cause microbiome dysbiosis by facilitating growth of specific commensal bacteria.

How plants manage pathogen infection

To combat microbial pathogens, plants have evolved specific immune responses that can be divided into three essential steps: microbial recognition by immune receptors, signal transduction within plant cells, and immune execution directly suppressing pathogens. During the past three decades, many plant immune receptors and signaling components and their mode of action have been revealed, markedly advancing our understanding of the first two steps. Activation of immune signaling results in physical and chemical actions that actually stop pathogen infection. Nevertheless, this third step of plant immunity is under explored. In addition to immune execution by plants, recent evidence suggests that the plant microbiota, which is considered an additional layer of the plant immune system, also plays a critical role in direct pathogen suppression. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of how plant immunity as well as microbiota control pathogen growth and behavior and highlight outstanding questions that need to be answered.

Immunobiodiversity: Conserved and specific immunity across land plants and beyond

Angiosperms represent most plants that humans cultivate, grow, and eat. However, angiosperms are only one of five major land plant lineages. As a whole lineage, plants also include algal groups. All these clades represent a tremendous genetic diversity that can be investigated to reveal the evolutionary history of any given mechanism. In this review, we describe the current model of the plant immune system, discuss its evolution based on the recent literature, and propose future directions for the field. In angiosperms, plant-microbe interactions have been intensively studied, revealing essential cell surface and intracellular immune receptors, as well as metabolic and hormonal defense pathways. Exploring diversity at the genomic and functional levels demonstrates the conservation of these pathways across land plants, some of which are beyond plants. On basis of the conserved mechanisms, lineage-specific variations have occurred, leading to diversified reservoirs of immune mechanisms. In rare cases, this diversity has been harnessed and successfully transferred to other species by integration of wild immune receptors or engineering of novel forms of receptors for improved resistance to pathogens. We propose that exploring further the diversity of immune mechanisms in the whole plant lineage will reveal completely novel sources of resistance to be deployed in crops.

Magnetic iron-based nanoparticles biogeochemical behavior in soil-plant system: A critical review

Increasing attention is being given to magnetic iron-based nanoparticles (MINPs) because of their potential environmental benefits. Owing to the earth abundance and high utilization of MINPs, as well as the significant functions of Fe in sustainable agriculture and environmental remediation, an understanding of the environmental fate of MINPs is indispensable. However, there are still knowledge gaps regarding the largely unknown environmental behaviors and fate of MINPs in soil-plant system. Thus, this review summarizes recent literature on the biogeochemical behavior (uptake, transportation, and transformation) of MINPs in soil and plants. The different possible uptake (e.g., foliar and root adsorption) and translocation (e.g., xylem, phloem, symplastic/apoplastic pathway, and endocytosis) pathways are discussed. Furthermore, drivers of MINPs uptake and transportation (e.g., soil characteristics, fertilizer treatments, copresence of inorganic and organic anions, meteorological conditions, and cell wall pores) in both soil and plant environments are summarized. This review also details the physical, chemical, and biological transformations of MINPs in soil-plant system. More importantly, a metadata analysis from the existing literature was employed to investigate the distinction between MINPs and other engineering nanoparticles biogeochemical behavior. In the future, more attention should be given to understanding the behavior of MINPs in soil-plant system and improving the capabilities of predictive models. This review thus highlights the main knowledge gaps regarding MINPs behavior and fate to provide guidance for their safe application in agrochemicals, crop production, and soil health.

Deciphering key factors in pathogen-suppressive microbiome assembly in the rhizosphere

In a plant-microbe symbiosis, the host plant plays a key role in promoting the association of beneficial microbes and maintaining microbiome homeostasis through microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs). The associated microbes provide an additional layer of protection for plant immunity and help in nutrient acquisition. Despite identical MAMPs in pathogens and commensals, the plant distinguishes between them and promotes the enrichment of beneficial ones while defending against the pathogens. The rhizosphere is a narrow zone of soil surrounding living plant roots. Hence, various biotic and abiotic factors are involved in shaping the rhizosphere microbiome responsible for pathogen suppression. Efforts have been devoted to modifying the composition and structure of the rhizosphere microbiome. Nevertheless, systemic manipulation of the rhizosphere microbiome has been challenging, and predicting the resultant microbiome structure after an introduced change is difficult. This is due to the involvement of various factors that determine microbiome assembly and result in an increased complexity of microbial networks. Thus, a comprehensive analysis of critical factors that influence microbiome assembly in the rhizosphere will enable scientists to design intervention techniques to reshape the rhizosphere microbiome structure and functions systematically. In this review, we give highlights on fundamental concepts in soil suppressiveness and concisely explore studies on how plants monitor microbiome assembly and homeostasis. We then emphasize key factors that govern pathogen-suppressive microbiome assembly. We discuss how pathogen infection enhances plant immunity by employing a cry-for-help strategy and examine how domestication wipes out defensive genes in plants experiencing domestication syndrome. Additionally, we provide insights into how nutrient availability and pH determine pathogen suppression in the rhizosphere. We finally highlight up-to-date endeavors in rhizosphere microbiome manipulation to gain valuable insights into potential strategies by which microbiome structure could be reshaped to promote pathogen-suppressive soil development.

PSKR1 balances the plant growth-defence trade-off in the rhizosphere microbiome

Microbiota benefit their hosts by improving nutrient uptake and pathogen protection. How host immunity restricts microbiota while avoiding autoimmunity is poorly understood. Here we show that the Arabidopsis phytosulfokine receptor 1 (pskr1) mutant displays autoimmunity (plant stunting, defence-gene expression and reduced rhizosphere bacterial growth) in response to growth-promoting Pseudomonas fluorescens. Microbiome profiling and microbiota colonization showed that PSKR1-mediated reduction in bacterial growth and stunting is largely specific to Pseudomonas. Transcriptional profiling demonstrated that PSKR1 regulates the growth-defence trade-off during Pseudomonas colonization: PSKR1 upregulates plant photosynthesis and root growth but suppresses salicylic-acid-mediated defences. Genetic epistasis experiments showed that pskr1 stunting and restriction of bacterial growth are salicylic acid dependent. Finally, we showed that Pseudomonas, but not other bacteria, induces PSKR1 expression in roots, suggesting that Pseudomonas might manipulate plant signalling to promote its colonization. Our data demonstrate a genetic mechanism to coordinate beneficial functions of the microbiome while preventing autoimmunity.

Grazing practices affect phyllosphere and rhizosphere bacterial communities of Kobresia humilis by altering their network stability

The primary utilization strategy for meadow grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) is livestock grazing. This practice is considered as one of the major drivers of plant-associated bacterial community construction and changes in soil properties. The species of Kobresia humilis is considered as the most dominant one in grasslands. However, how different grazing practices affect the phyllosphere and rhizosphere bacterial communities of K. humilis is unknown. To address this issue, the effects of the grazing enclosure (GE), single-species grazing (YG and SG, representing yak only and sheep only, respectively), and different ratios of grazing (ratio of yak to sheep is 1:2, 1:4, and 1:6, represented by MG1:2, MG1:4, and MG1:6, respectively) on the dominant plant of K. humilis, it's phyllosphere and rhizosphere bacteria, and soil properties were investigated using artificially controlled grazing and grazing enclosure. Our data showed that grazing enclosure enhanced vegetation coverage, and rhizosphere bacterial richness and diversity, while reduced plant number and bacterial network stability of K. humilis. The NO3--N, K+, and Cl- concentrations were lower under grazing compared to GE. SG reduced the concentration of NH4+-N, TN, K+, and Na+ compared to YG. Moderate grazing intensity had a lower relative abundance of the r-strategists (Bacteroidota and Gammaproteobacteria) with higher bacterial network stability. Yak and sheep grazing showed reversed impacts on the bacterial network stability between the phyllosphere and rhizosphere of K. humilis. Proteobacteria and Actinobacteriota were identified in the molecular ecological network analysis as keystone taxa in the phyllosphere and rhizosphere networks, respectively, under all treatments. This study explained why sheep grazing has more adverse effects on grazing-tolerant grass species, K. humilis, than yak grazing, and will contribute to a better understanding of the impacts of different grazing practices and grazing enclosure on alpine grassland ecosystems on the QTP.

Relationships between Phyllosphere Bacterial Communities and Leaf Functional Traits in a Temperate Forest

As a vital component of biodiversity, phyllosphere bacteria in forest canopy play a critical role in maintaining plant health and influencing the global biogeochemical cycle. There is limited research on the community structure of phyllosphere bacteria in natural forests, which creates a gap in our understanding of whether and/or how phyllosphere bacteria are connected to leaf traits of their host. In this study, we investigated the bacterial diversity and composition of the canopy leaves of six dominant tree species in deciduous broad-leaved forests in northeastern China, using high-throughput sequencing. We then compare the differences in phyllosphere bacterial community structure and functional genes of dominant tree species. Fourteen key leaf functional traits of their host trees were also measured according to standard protocols to investigate the relationships between bacterial community composition and leaf functional traits. Our result suggested that tree species with closer evolutionary distances had similar phyllosphere microbial alpha diversity. The dominant phyla of phyllosphere bacteria were Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes. For these six tree species, the functional genes of phyllosphere bacteria were mainly involved in amino acid metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism processes. The redundancy and envfit analysis results showed that the functional traits relating to plant nutrient acquisition and resistance to diseases and pests (such as leaf area, isotope carbon content, and copper content) were the main factors influencing the community structure of phyllosphere bacteria. This study highlights the key role of plant interspecific genetic relationships and plant attributes in shaping phyllosphere bacterial diversity.

Recent Advances in Effector Research of Magnaporthe oryzae

Recalcitrant rice blast disease is caused by Magnaporthe oryzae, which has a significant negative economic reverberation on crop productivity. In order to induce the disease onto the host, M. oryzae positively generates many types of small secreted proteins, here named as effectors, to manipulate the host cell for the purpose of stimulating pathogenic infection. In M. oryzae, by engaging with specific receptors on the cell surface, effectors activate signaling channels which control an array of cellular activities, such as proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. The most recent research on effector identification, classification, function, secretion, and control mechanism has been compiled in this review. In addition, the article also discusses directions and challenges for future research into an effector in M. oryzae.

Microbiome-Mediated Protection against Pathogens in Woody Plants

Pathogens, especially invasive species, have caused significant global ecological, economic, and social losses in forests. Plant disease research has traditionally focused on direct interactions between plants and pathogens in an appropriate environment. However, recent research indicates that the microbiome can interact with the plant host and pathogens to modulate plant resistance or pathogen pathogenicity, thereby altering the outcome of plant-pathogen interactions. Thus, this presents new opportunities for studying the microbial management of forest diseases. Compared to parallel studies on human and crop microbiomes, research into the forest tree microbiome and its critical role in forest disease progression has lagged. The rapid development of microbiome sequencing and analysis technologies has resulted in the rapid accumulation of a large body of evidence regarding the association between forest microbiomes and diseases. These data will aid the development of innovative, effective, and environmentally sustainable methods for the microbial management of forest diseases. Herein, we summarize the most recent findings on the dynamic structure and composition of forest tree microbiomes in belowground and aboveground plant tissues (i.e., rhizosphere, endosphere, and phyllosphere), as well as their pleiotropic impact on plant immunity and pathogen pathogenicity, highlighting representative examples of biological control agents used to modulate relevant tree microbiomes. Lastly, we discuss the potential application of forest tree microbiomes in disease control as well as their future prospects and challenges.

Microbe-associated molecular pattern recognition receptors have little effect on endophytic Arabidopsis thaliana microbiome assembly in the field

Plant microbiome structure affects plant health and productivity. A limited subset of environmental microbes successfully establishes within plant tissues, but the forces underlying this selectivity remain poorly characterized. Transmembrane pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), used by plants to detect microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs), are strong candidates for achieving this selectivity because PRRs can potentially interact with many members of the microbiome. Indeed, MAMPs found in many microbial taxa, including beneficials and commensals, can instigate a robust immune response that affects microbial growth. Surprisingly, we found that MAMP-detecting PRRs have little effect on endophytic bacterial and fungal microbiome structure in the field. We compared the microbiomes of four PRR knockout lines of Arabidopsis thaliana to wild-type plants in multiple tissue types over several developmental stages and detected only subtle shifts in fungal, but not bacterial, β-diversity in one of the four PRR mutants. In one developmental stage, lore mutants had slightly altered fungal β-diversity, indicating that LORE may be involved in plant-fungal interactions in addition to its known role in detecting certain bacterial lipids. No other effects of PRRs on α-diversity, microbiome variability, within-individual homogeneity, or microbial load were found. The general lack of effect suggests that individual MAMP-detecting PRRs are not critical in shaping the endophytic plant microbiome. Rather, we suggest that MAMP-detecting PRRs must either act in concert and/or are individually maintained through pleiotropic effects or interactions with coevolved mutualists or pathogens. Although unexpected, these results offer insights into the role of MAMP-detecting PRRs in plant-microbe interactions and help direct future efforts to uncover host genetic elements that control plant microbiome assembly.

A prophage tail-like protein facilitates the endophytic growth of Burkholderia gladioli and mounting immunity in tomato

A prophage tail-like protein (Bg_9562) of Burkholderia gladioli strain NGJ1 possesses broad-spectrum antifungal activity, and it is required for the bacterial ability to forage over fungi. Here, we analyzed whether heterologous overexpression of Bg_9562 or exogenous treatment with purified protein can impart disease tolerance in tomato. The physiological relevance of Bg_9562 during endophytic growth of NGJ1 was also investigated. Bg_9562 overexpressing lines demonstrate fungal and bacterial disease tolerance. They exhibit enhanced expression of defense genes and activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases. Treatment with Bg_9562 protein induces defense responses and imparts immunity in wild-type tomato. The defense-inducing ability lies within 18-51 aa region of Bg_9562 and is due to sequence homology with the bacterial flagellin epitope. Interaction studies suggest that Bg_9562 is perceived by FLAGELLIN-SENSING 2 homologs in tomato. The silencing of SlSERK3s (BAK1 homologs) prevents Bg_9562-triggered immunity. Moreover, type III secretion system-dependent translocation of Bg_9562 into host apoplast is important for elicitation of immune responses during colonization of NGJ1. Our study emphasizes that Bg_9562 is important for the endophytic growth of B. gladioli, while the plant perceives it as an indirect indicator of the presence of bacteria to mount immune responses. The findings have practical implications for controlling plant diseases.

Diversity and biogeography of plant phyllosphere bacteria are governed by latitude-dependent mechanisms

Predicting and managing the structure and function of plant microbiomes requires quantitative understanding of community assembly and predictive models of spatial distributions at broad geographic scales. Here, we quantified the relative contribution of abiotic and biotic factors to the assembly of phyllosphere bacterial communities, and developed spatial distribution models for keystone bacterial taxa along a latitudinal gradient, by analyzing 16S rRNA gene sequences from 1453 leaf samples taken from 329 plant species in China. We demonstrated a latitudinal gradient in phyllosphere bacterial diversity and community composition, which was mostly explained by climate and host plant factors. We found that host-related factors were increasingly important in explaining bacterial assembly at higher latitudes while nonhost factors including abiotic environments, spatial proximity and plant neighbors were more important at lower latitudes. We further showed that local plant-bacteria associations were interconnected by hub bacteria taxa to form metacommunity-level networks, and the spatial distribution of these hub taxa was controlled by hosts and spatial factors with varying importance across latitudes. For the first time, we documented a latitude-dependent importance in the driving factors of phyllosphere bacteria assembly and distribution, serving as a baseline for predicting future changes in plant phyllosphere microbiomes under global change and human activities.

The power of patterns: new insights into pattern-triggered immunity

The plant immune system features numerous immune receptors localized on the cell surface to monitor the apoplastic space for danger signals from a broad range of plant colonizers. Recent discoveries shed light on the enormous complexity of molecular signals sensed by these receptors, how they are generated and removed to maintain cellular homeostasis and immunocompetence, and how they are shaped by host-imposed evolutionary constraints. Fine-tuning receptor sensing mechanisms at the molecular, cellular and physiological level is critical for maintaining a robust but adaptive host barrier to commensal, pathogenic, and symbiotic colonizers alike. These receptors are at the core of any plant-colonizer interaction and hold great potential for engineering disease resistance and harnessing beneficial microbiota to keep crops healthy.

Native plants change the endophyte assembly and growth of an invasive plant in response to climatic factors

Climate change, microbial endophytes, and local plants can affect the establishment and expansion of invasive species, yet no study has been performed to assess these interactions. Using a growth chamber, we integrated the belowground (rhizosphere soils) and aboveground (mixture of mature leaf and leaf litter) microbiota into an experimental framework to evaluate the impacts of four native plants acting as microbial inoculation sources on endophyte assembly and growth of the invasive plant Ageratina adenophora in response to drought stress and temperature change. We found that fungal and bacterial enrichment in the leaves and roots of A. adenophora exhibited distinct patterns in response to climatic factors. Many fungi were enriched in roots in response to high temperature and drought stress; in contrast, many bacteria were enriched in leaves in response to low temperature and drought stress. Inoculation of microbiota from phylogenetically close native plant species (i.e., Asteraceae Artemisia atrovirens) causes the recipient plant A. adenophora (Asteraceae) to enrich dominant microbial species from inoculation sources, which commonly results in a lower dissimilar endophytic microbiota and thus produces more negative growth effects when compared to non-Asteraceae inoculations. Drought, microbial inoculation source, and temperature directly impacted the growth of A. adenophora. Both drought and inoculation also indirectly impacted the growth of A. adenophora by changing the root endophytic fungal assembly. Our data indicate that native plant identity can greatly impact the endophyte assembly and host growth of invasive plants, which is regulated by drought and temperature.IMPORTANCEThere has been increasing interest in the interactions between global changes and plant invasions; however, it remains to quantify the role of microbial endophytes in plant invasion with a consideration of their variation in the root vs leaf of hosts, as well as the linkages between microbial inoculations, such as native plant species, and climatic factors, such as temperature and drought. Our study found that local plants acting as microbial inoculants can impact fungal and bacterial enrichment in the leaves and roots of the invasive plant Ageratina adenophora and thus produce distinct growth effects in response to climatic factors; endophyte-mediated invasion of A. adenophora is expected to operate more effectively under favorable moisture. Our study is important for understanding the interactions between climate change, microbial endophytes, and local plant identity in the establishment and expansion of invasive species.

Bacterial Microbiome Differences between the Roots of Diseased and Healthy Chinese Hickory (Carya cathayensis) Trees

Carya cathayensis is an important economic nut tree that is endemic to eastern China. As such, outbreaks of root rot disease in C. cathayensis result in reduced yields and serious economic losses. Moreover, while soil bacterial communities play a crucial role in plant health and are associated with plant disease outbreaks, their diversity and composition in C. cathayensis are not clearly understood. In this study, Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Actinobacteria were found to be the most dominant bacterial communities (accounting for approximately 80.32% of the total) in the root tissue, rhizosphere soil, and bulk soil of healthy C. cathayensis specimens. Further analysis revealed the abundance of genera belonging to Proteobacteria, namely, Acidibacter, Bradyrhizobium, Paraburkholderia, Sphaerotilus, and Steroidobacter, was higher in the root tissues of healthy C. cathayensis specimens than in those of diseased and dead trees. In addition, the abundance of four genera belonging to Actinobacteria, namely, Actinoallomurus, Actinomadura, Actinocrinis, and Gaiella, was significantly higher in the root tissues of healthy C. cathayensis specimens than in those of diseased and dead trees. Altogether, these results suggest that disruption in the balance of these bacterial communities may be associated with the development of root rot in C. cathayensis, and further, our study provides theoretical guidance for the isolation and control of pathogens and diseases related to this important tree species.

Pulsed electric field treatment of seeds altered the endophytic bacterial community and promotes early growth of roots in buckwheat

BACKGROUND

Endophytic bacteria provide nutrients and stimulate systemic resistance during seed germination and plant growth and development, and their functional properties in combating various stresses make them a powerful tool in green agricultural production. In this paper we explored the function of the endophyte community in buckwheat seeds in order to provide a theoretical basis for the application and scientific research of endophytes in buckwheat cultivation. We used pulsed electric field (PEF) technology to treat buckwheat seeds, monitored the effect of high-voltage pulse treatment on buckwheat seed germination, and analyzed the diversity of endophytic bacteria in buckwheat seeds using the amplicon sequencing method.

RESULTS

PEF treatment promoted root development during buckwheat seed germination. A total of 350 Operational taxonomic units (OTUs) that were assigned into 103 genera were obtained from control and treatment groups using 16SrRNA amplicon sequencing technology. Additionally, PEF treatment also caused a significant decrease in the abundance of Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. The abundance of 28 genera changed significantly as well: 11 genera were more abundant, and 17 were less abundant. The number of associated network edges was reduced from 980 to 117, the number of positive correlations decreased by 89.1%, and the number of negative correlations decreased by 86.6%.

CONCLUSION

PEF treatment promoted early root development in buckwheat and was able to alter the seed endophytic bacterial community. This study thus makes a significant contribution to the field of endophyte research and to the application of PEF technology in plant cultivation.

Deep discovery informs difficult deployment in plant microbiome science

Plant-associated microbiota can extend plant immune system function, improve nutrient acquisition and availability, and alleviate abiotic stresses. Thus, naturally beneficial microbial therapeutics are enticing tools to improve plant productivity. The basic definition of plant microbiota across species and ecosystems, combined with the development of reductionist experimental models and the manipulation of plant phenotypes with microbes, has fueled interest in its translation to agriculture. However, the great majority of microbes exhibiting plant-productivity traits in the lab and greenhouse fail in the field. Therapeutic microbes must reach détente, the establishment of uneasy homeostasis, with the plant immune system, invade heterogeneous pre-established plant-associated communities, and persist in a new and potentially remodeled community. Environmental conditions can alter community structure and thus impact the engraftment of therapeutic microbes. We survey recent breakthroughs, challenges, and opportunities in translating beneficial microbes from the lab to the field.

Phyllosphere Microbiome in Plant Health and Disease

The phyllosphere refers to the aboveground surface of plants colonized by diverse microorganisms. Microbes inhabiting this environment play an important role in enhancing the host's genomic and metabolic capabilities, including defense against pathogens. Compared to the large volume of studies on rhizosphere microbiome for plant health and defense, our understanding of phyllosphere microbiome remains in its infancy. In this review, we aim to explore the mechanisms that govern the phyllosphere assembly and their function in host defence, as well as highlight the knowledge gaps. These efforts will help develop strategies to harness the phyllosphere microbiome toward sustainable crop production.

Exposure pathways, environmental processes and risks of micro (nano) plastics to crops and feasible control strategies in agricultural regions

Micro/nanoplastics (MPs/NPs) pollution may adversely impact agricultural ecosystems, threatening the sustainability and security of agricultural production. This drives an urgent need to comprehensively understand the environmental behavior and effects of MPs/NPs in soil and atmosphere in agricultural regions, and to seek relevant pollution prevention strategies. The rhizosphere and phyllosphere are the interfaces where crops are exposed to MPs/NPs. The environmental behavior of MPs/NPs in soil and atmosphere, especially in the rhizosphere and phyllosphere, determines their plant accessibility, bioavailability and ecotoxicity. This article comprehensively reviews the transformation and migration of MPs/NPs in soil, transportation and deposition in the atmosphere, environmental behavior and effects in the rhizosphere and phyllosphere, and plant uptake and transportation pathways. The article also summarizes the key factors controlling MPs/NPs environmental processes, including their properties, biotic and abiotic factors. Based on the sources, environmental processes and intake risks of MPs/NPs in agroecosystems, the article offers several feasible pollution prevention and risk management options. Finally, the review highlights the need for further research on MPs/NPs in agro-systems, including developing quantitative detection methods, exploring transformation and migration patterns in-situ soil, monitoring long-term field experiments, and establishing pollution prevention and control systems. This review can assist in improving our understanding of the biogeochemistry behavior of MPs/NPs in the soil-plant-atmosphere system and provide a roadmap for future research.