title: Host genotype and age shape the leaf and root microbiomes of a wild perennial plant.
abstract: Bacteria living on and in leaves and roots influence many aspects of plant health, so the extent of a plant's genetic control over its microbiota is of great interest to crop breeders and evolutionary biologists. Laboratory-based studies, because they poorly simulate true environmental heterogeneity, may misestimate or totally miss the influence of certain host genes on the microbiome. Here we report a large-scale field experiment to disentangle the effects of genotype, environment, age and year of harvest on bacterial communities associated with leaves and roots of Boechera stricta (Brassicaceae), a perennial wild mustard. Host genetic control of the microbiome is evident in leaves but not roots, and varies substantially among sites. Microbiome composition also shifts as plants age. Furthermore, a large proportion of leaf bacterial groups are shared with roots, suggesting inoculation from soil. Our results demonstrate how genotype-by-environment interactions contribute to the complexity of microbiome assembly in natural environments.
authors.affiliation: Program in Genetics and Genomics, Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA.
authors.forename: Maggie R
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6924-7226
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Carolina Center for Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA.
authors.forename: Derek S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Lundberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, California 94598, USA.
authors.forename: Tijana G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Del Rio
authors.affiliation: Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, California 94598, USA.
authors.forename: Susannah G
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6479-8427
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Tringe
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Carolina Center for Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA.|Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffery L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Dangl
authors.affiliation: Program in Genetics and Genomics, Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mitchell-Olds
mesh_terms: D019607:Brassicaceae / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology*; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D005838:Genotype; D064307:Microbiota / Q000235:genetics; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000382:microbiology*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000382:microbiology*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012987:Soil; D012988:Soil Microbiology
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012987:Soil