Disease-induced changes in plant microbiome assembly and functional adaptation.

Area of Science:

• Plant-microbe interactions
• Microbiome assembly
• Agricultural microbiology

Background:

• Plant microbiomes are crucial for plant health and growth.
• Rhizosphere microbes suppress soil-borne pathogens.
• Understanding microbiome dynamics under pathogen invasion is vital.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate the impact of Fusarium wilt disease (FWD) on chili pepper microbiomes.
• Analyze bacterial and fungal community assembly and function.
• Explore ecological processes in below- and aboveground compartments.

Main Methods:

• Studied 12 compartments of chili pepper plants.
• Utilized amplicon (16S and ITS) and metagenomics.
• Examined microbiome changes at major pepper production sites in China.

Main Results:

• FWD significantly impacted root and stem microbiomes, less so fruit microbiomes.
• Fungal communities were more sensitive to FWD than bacterial communities.
• Diseased plants recruited beneficial bacteria and showed enriched genes for detoxification and signaling.

Conclusions:

• Diseased plants can recruit beneficial bacteria to aid survival.
• Host plants may modulate signaling pathways to attract beneficial microbes.
• Findings offer insights for sustainable agriculture through microbiome manipulation.