Fruit decomposition affects soil and seedling microbiomes and phenotype Raw sequence reads
The evolutionary function of fruits has been primary link to seed dispersal. However, their influence on the soil and plant microbiomes subsequent to their decomposition has received limited scientific attention. Here we hypothesize that fruit decomposition can alter the soil microbiome, and subsequently the plant microbiome. We used amplicon sequencing to analyze microbial community associated with soil, phyllosphere and roots of tomato plants grown with and without their fruit. Our results showed that fruit decomposition increased soil microbial diversity and drastically changed soil community composition. In contrast, both leaves and roots of the tomato seedlings grown from decomposing fruits had lower species diversity compared to being grown from the seed. Yet, the community composition of both leaves and roots differed significantly due to fruit decomposition. This study provide evidence suggesting that fruits may have an alternative function beyond seed dispersal in influencing the development and success of plant offspring.