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Global-Scale Structure of the Eelgrass Microbiome
Ashkaan K Fahimipour1, Melissa R Kardish2, Jenna M Lang3
1Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA ashkaan.fahimipour@gmail.com.
Applied and Environmental Microbiology
|April 16, 2017
Summary
Marine eelgrass (Zostera marina) hosts distinct leaf and root microbiomes. Leaf communities vary spatially like seawater, while root communities show stable, sulfur-oxidizing bacteria enrichment, suggesting habitat filtering.
Area of Science:
- Marine microbiology
- Plant-microbe interactions
- Ecosystem ecology
Background:
- Plant-associated microorganisms are vital for host health and performance.
- Terrestrial plant microbiome studies are common, but marine plant microbiomes are less understood.
- Seagrasses, like Zostera marina, represent an extreme evolutionary adaptation to marine environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the global structure, composition, and variability of microbial communities on Zostera marina leaves and roots.
- To compare eelgrass-associated microbiomes with surrounding seawater and sediment communities.
- To investigate microbial community assembly mechanisms on different plant compartments using metabolic modeling.
Main Methods:
- Global-scale sampling of Zostera marina leaf and root surfaces.
- Analysis of associated microbial communities via sequencing.
- Comparison with microbial communities in adjacent seawater and sediment.
- Metabolic modeling to infer community assembly processes.
Main Results:
- Eelgrass leaf microbial communities exhibited high spatial variability, mirroring coastal seawater microbiomes.
- Root microbial communities showed low variability and distinct composition from sediment, enriched with sulfur-oxidizing bacteria.
- Metabolic modeling supported habitat filtering as a key assembly mechanism for root microbiomes.
Conclusions:
- Zostera marina harbors distinct microbial communities on its leaf and root surfaces.
- Disparate assembly processes influence aboveground and belowground microbial communities.
- Evidence suggests a core root microbiome with potential functional roles in marine environments.