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Research
Ahmed Abdelfattah
Stockholm University
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6090-7200
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This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Background While the environment is considered the primary origin for establishing the microbiome of newly developing plants, the potential role of seeds as a source of transmitting microorganisms has not received much attention. Here we tested the hypothesis that the plant microbiome is at least partially inherited through vertical transmission. We investigated where microbes reside within a seed, and how microbes are subsequently transmitted from the seed to seedling’s belowground and aboveground plant tissues. To this aim, an experimental culturing device was constructed to grow oak seedlings in a microbe-free environment while keeping the belowground and aboveground tissues separated.
Results Amplicon sequencing of fungal ITS2 and bacterial 16S rDNA revealed that the seed microbiome is diverse and non-randomly distributed within an acorn. The large majority (> 95%) of fungi and bacteria present in the acorn were transmitted to the seedling. The microbial composition of the phyllosphere strongly resembled the composition found in the embryo, whereas the roots and pericarp each had a distinct microbial community. Similar relationships were observed for both fungi and bacteria.
Conclusion Our findings demonstrate a high level of microbial diversity and spatial partitioning of the fungal and bacterial community within both seed and seedling, indicating inheritance, niche differentiation, and divergent transmission routes for the establishment of root and phyllosphere communities in oak seedlings. The study provides new information on the importance of the maternal environment as a source of the seedling microbiome, with significant implications for our understanding of the continuity of the plant microbiome across generations.
Keywords
embryo, holobiont, microbe-free, microbial inheritance, microcosm, phyllosphere, plant microbiome, Quercus robur, roots, seed, seed microbiome, vertical transmission
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This is a preprint, a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Research
Ahmed Abdelfattah
Stockholm University
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6090-7200
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
History
CURRENT STATUS: Posted
View the published article at Environmental Microbiology.
Version 1
Posted 14 May, 2020
No community comments so far
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
Subject Areas
General Microbiology
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
View the published article at Environmental Microbiology.
Background While the environment is considered the primary origin for establishing the microbiome of newly developing plants, the potential role of seeds as a source of transmitting microorganisms has not received much attention. Here we tested the hypothesis that the plant microbiome is at least partially inherited through vertical transmission. We investigated where microbes reside within a seed, and how microbes are subsequently transmitted from the seed to seedling’s belowground and aboveground plant tissues. To this aim, an experimental culturing device was constructed to grow oak seedlings in a microbe-free environment while keeping the belowground and aboveground tissues separated.
Results Amplicon sequencing of fungal ITS2 and bacterial 16S rDNA revealed that the seed microbiome is diverse and non-randomly distributed within an acorn. The large majority (> 95%) of fungi and bacteria present in the acorn were transmitted to the seedling. The microbial composition of the phyllosphere strongly resembled the composition found in the embryo, whereas the roots and pericarp each had a distinct microbial community. Similar relationships were observed for both fungi and bacteria.
Conclusion Our findings demonstrate a high level of microbial diversity and spatial partitioning of the fungal and bacterial community within both seed and seedling, indicating inheritance, niche differentiation, and divergent transmission routes for the establishment of root and phyllosphere communities in oak seedlings. The study provides new information on the importance of the maternal environment as a source of the seedling microbiome, with significant implications for our understanding of the continuity of the plant microbiome across generations.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
This is a list of supplementary files associated with this preprint. Click to download.
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