Niche and host-associated functional signatures of the root surface microbiome

Maya Ofek-Lalzar, Noa Sela, Milana Goldman-Voronov, Stefan J. Green, Yitzhak Hadar, Dror Minz*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

300 Scopus citations

Abstract

Plant microbiomes are critical to host adaptation and impact plant productivity and health. Root-associated microbiomes vary by soil and host genotype, but the contribution of these factors to community structure and metabolic potential has not been fully addressed. Here we characterize root microbial communities of two disparate agricultural crops grown in the same natural soil in a controlled and replicated experimental system. Metagenomic (genetic potential) analysis identifies a core set of functional genes associated with root colonization in both plant hosts, and metatranscriptomic (functional expression) analysis revealed that most genes enriched in the root zones are expressed. Root colonization requires multiple functional capabilities, and these capabilities are enriched at the community level. Differences between the root-associated microbial communities from different plants are observed at the genus or species level, and are related to root-zone environmental factors.

Original languageEnglish
Article number4950
JournalNature Communications
Volume5
DOIs
StatePublished - 2014

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

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