Distinct microbial communities among different tissues of citrus tree Citrus reticulata cv. Chachiensis

Plant microbiota colonize all organs of a plant and play crucial roles including supplying nutrients to plants, stimulating seed germination, promoting plant growth, and defending plants against biotic and abiotic stress. Because of the economic importance, interactions between citrus and microbes have been studied relatively extensively, especially citrus-pathogen interactions. However, the spatial distribution of microbial taxa in citrus trees remains under-studied. In this study, Citrus reticulata cv. Chachiensis was examined for the spatial distribution of microbes by sequencing 16S rRNA genes. More than 2.5 million sequences were obtained from 60 samples collected from soil, roots, leaves, and phloem. The dominant microbial phyla from all samples were Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Acidobacteria. The composition and structure of microbial communities in different samples were analyzed by PCoA, CAP, Anosim and MRPP methods. Variation in microbial species between samples were analyzed and the indicator microbes of each sample group were identified. Our results suggested that the microbial communities from different tissues varied significantly and the microenvironments of tree tissues could affect the composition of its microbial community.