A conserved cross-feeding mechanism drives microbial niche adaptation on leaf
This project contain genomics and transcriptomics data associated with the manuscript titled 'A conserved cross-feeding mechanism drives microbial niche adaptation on leaf' Microbial interactions are crucial in shaping the structure and function of microbial communities, yet how microbes adapt to each other and initiate microbiome assembly remains elusive. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive microbiome survey across Europe to uncover interactions among core microbes on Arabidopsis thaliana leaves in nature. We discovered a mutualistic relationship between the yeast Dioszegia hungarica and the obligate oomycete parasite Albugo laibachii, both of which are hub taxa in the leaf microbiome of A. thaliana. Our analysis revealed that D. hungarica facilitates A. laibachii colonization by synthesizing and supplying thiamine, a nutrient that A. laibachii cannot produce. This interaction is underpinned by the intensified evolutionary selection of the thiamine permease DhPER1, within the Dioszegia lineage associated with A. thaliana-. This cross-feeding not only enhances A. laibachii's ability to colonize the host but it also benefits D. hungarica by promoting its longevity on the leaves, highlighting a mutualistic relationship. Our study underscores the microbial cooperation in niche adaptation on plant leaves, providing important molecular insights into the ecological processes of initiation and stabilization of the microbial communities.