Host genotype and age shape the leaf and root microbiomes of a wild perennial plant
Citations Over TimeTop 1% of 2016 papers
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.
Related Papers
- → Trade‐offs between seed output and life span – a quantitative comparison of traits between annual and perennial congeneric species(2015)138 cited
- → Review: Nitrogen acquisition, assimilation, and seasonal cycling in perennial grasses(2024)12 cited
- → Annual and Perennial Grass Growth on Nitrogen‐Depleted Decomposed Granite(1998)42 cited
- Investigation on Application of Perennial Flowers in City Greening of Bayannaoer(2014)
- Observation of Display Time and Research on Prolonging Flowering Time of Common Perennials in Beijing(2010)