The phyllosphere microbiome shifts toward combating melanose pathogen

• DOI: 10.1186/s40168-022-01234-x
• Publication Date: 2022-04-02T07:38:31Z
• Authors: Pu-Dong Li; Zeng-Rong Zhu; Yunzeng Zhang; Jianping Xu; Hongkai Wang; Zhengyi Wang; Hongye Li
• Keywords: Phyllosphere; Methylobacterium; Sphingomonas; Human pathogen

Plants can recruit beneficial microbes to enhance their ability defend against pathogens. However, in contrast the intensively studied roles of rhizosphere microbiome suppressing plant pathogens, collective community-level change and effect phyllosphere response pathogen invasion remains largely elusive.Here, we integrated 16S metabarcoding, shotgun metagenomics culture-dependent methods systematically investigate changes between infected uninfected citrus leaves by Diaporthe citri, a fungal causing melanose disease worldwide. Multiple features suggested shift upon D. citri infection, highlighted marked reduction community evenness, emergence large numbers new microbes, intense microbial network. We also identified from functional perspectives leaves, such as enriched functions for iron competition potential antifungal traits, with genomic characteristics. Glasshouse experiments demonstrated that several bacteria associated could positively affect performance under challenge, reductions index ranging 65.7 88.4%. Among them, Pantoea asv90 Methylobacterium asv41 "recruited microbes" exhibited antagonistic activities both vitro vivo, including inhibition spore germination and/or mycelium growth. Sphingomonas spp. presented characteristics were found be main contributor enrichment complex outer membrane receptor protein leaves. Moreover, asv20 showed stronger suppression iron-deficient conditions than iron-sufficient conditions, suggesting role during action.Overall, our study revealed how microbiomes differed pathogen, mechanisms observed might have helped plants cope pressure. Our findings provide novel insights into understanding responses challenge. Video abstract.