Rhizocompartments and environmental factors affect microbial composition and variation in native plants

Molecular analysis based on large-scale sequencing of the plant microbiota has revealed complex relationships between plants and microbial communities, and environmental factors such as soil type can influence these relationships. However, most studies on root-associated microbial communities have focused on model plants such as Arabidopsis, rice or crops. Herein, we examined the microbiota of rhizocompartments of two native plants, Sedum takesimense Nakai and Campanula takesimana Nakai, using archaeal and bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicon profiling, and assessed relationships between environmental factors and microbial community composition. We identified 390 bacterial genera, including known plant-associated genera such as Pseudomonas, Flavobacterium, Bradyrhizobium and Rhizobium, and uncharacterized clades such as DA101 that might be important in root-associated microbial communities in bulk soil. Unexpectedly, Nitrososphaera clade members were abundant, indicating functional association with roots. Soil texture/type has a greater impact on microbial community composition in rhizocompartments than chemical factors. Our results provide fundamental knowledge on microbial diversity, community and correlations with environmental factors, and expand our understanding of the microbiota in rhizocompartments of native plants.