Plant Microbiome and Its Link to Plant Health: Host Species, Organs and Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae Infection Shaping Bacterial Phyllosphere Communities of Kiwifruit Plants

• Published in: Frontiers in plant science Vol. 9; p. 1563
• Main Authors: Purahong, Witoon, Orrù, Luigi, Donati, Irene, Perpetuini, Giorgia, Cellini, Antonio, Lamontanara, Antonella, Michelotti, Vania, Tacconi, Gianni, Spinelli, Francesco
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 07.11.2018
• Subjects: Actinidia chinensis; Actinidia deliciosa; bacterial biocoenosis; biocontrol; epiphytic community; metagenome; Plant Science; metagenome; epiphytic community; bacterial biocoenosis; Actinidia chinensis; bacterial canker; Actinidia deliciosa; biocontrol
• ISSN: 1664-462X; 1664-462X
• DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.01563

pv. (Psa) is the causal agent of the bacterial canker, the most devastating disease of kiwifruit vines. Before entering the host tissues, this pathogen has an epiphytic growth phase on kiwifruit flowers and leaves, thus the ecological interactions within epiphytic bacterial community may greatly influence the onset of the infection process. The bacterial community associated to the two most important cultivated kiwifruit species, and , was described both on flowers and leaves using Illumina massive parallel sequencing of the V3 and V4 variable regions of the 16S rRNA gene. In addition, the effect of plant infection by Psa on the epiphytic bacterial community structure and biodiversity was investigated. Psa infection affected the phyllosphere microbiome structures in both species, however, its impact was more pronounced on leaves, where a drastic drop in microbial biodiversity was observed. Furthermore, we also showed that Psa was always present in syndemic association with pv. and , two other kiwifruit pathogens, suggesting the establishment of a pathogenic consortium leading to a higher pathogenesis capacity. Finally, the analyses of the dynamics of bacterial populations provided useful information for the screening and selection of potential biocontrol agents against Psa.