Tomato Domestication Affects Potential Functional Molecular Pathways of Root-Associated Soil Bacteria

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Plant Science
• Ecology

Background:

• Plant domestication significantly impacts root-associated microbial community structure.
• Functional consequences of domestication-mediated microbiome shifts on ecosystem services remain poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how tomato domestication influences the functional assembly of root-associated bacterial communities.
• To understand the role of host genotype in shaping these functional profiles across an evolutionary transect.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 27 tomato accessions representing a domestication gradient (ancestors, landraces, modern cultivars).
• Molecular analysis to predict functional profiles of bacterial communities.
• Construction of co-occurrence networks to infer functional unit interactions.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in eight metabolic pathway categories were observed across the domestication gradient.
• Host genotype strongly influences the potential functions of soil bacterial communities.
• Wild tomatoes exhibited distinct functional profiles compared to landraces and modern cultivars, which were similar to each other.

Conclusions:

• Tomato domestication shapes the functional potential of the root microbiome.
• Ancestral functional characteristics are largely conserved, but certain groups are more conserved in landraces than modern varieties.
• Agronomic practices associated with domestication, especially soil organic matter management, may affect microbial ecosystem services.