The Cacti Microbiome: Interplay between Habitat-Filtering and Host-Specificity.

ABSTRACT: Cactaceae represents one of the most species-rich families of succulent plants native to arid and semi-arid ecosystems, yet the associations Cacti establish with microorganisms and the rules governing microbial community assembly remain poorly understood. We analyzed the composition, diversity, and factors influencing above- and below-ground bacterial, archaeal, and fungal communities associated with two native and sympatric Cacti species: Myrtillocactus geometrizans and Opuntia robusta. Phylogenetic profiling showed that the composition and assembly of microbial communities associated with Cacti were primarily influenced by the plant compartment; plant species, site, and season played only a minor role. Remarkably, bacterial, and archaeal diversity was higher in the phyllosphere than in t

SUBMITTER: Fonseca-Garcia C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4751269 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature