The microbiome of diseased and healthy plants of tomato

LOPEZ, SILVINA; PASTORINO, GRACIELA; ALANIZ, ANA; REPARAZ, JUAN ; MEDINA, ROCIO; GAUNA, JUAN; SAPARRAT, MARIO; BALATTI, PEDRO

Montevideo

Congreso; X Encuentro Latinoamericano y del Caribe de biotecnología agropecuaria y xi simposio REDBIO Argentina.; 2019

REDBIO

Today bacteria that interact with plants became a relevant biotechnological resource mainly forsustainable agriculture management. The endobiome of plants contain plant growthpromoting, phytopathogenic as well as antagonistic bacteria whose activity might counteractthe stresses provoked by biotic and abiotic factors.This study aimed to identify and analyze themicrobial community of healthy and diseased plants.Tomato plants (cv. Elpida) were grown in a greenhouse located in La Plata, Argentina. Whileseveral plants presented symptoms associated with Stemphylium lycopersici, others werehealthy. Tissues samples from diseased and healthy plants were collected at flowering in May2017. Genomic DNA of samples (seed, roots, shoots, leaves, and fruit) was extracted andused as templates for high- throughput sequencing. Concomitantly culturable endophytic bacteria within samples were isolated and identified.The study led us to describe the phylogenetic structure of the endophytic bacteria inhabitingplants which were confirmed by high-throughput sequencing analysis. Isolates cultured in vitrobelonged to the phylum with greater relative abundance found in each plant tissue analyzed.Only a few taxa of bacteria within tomato plants can be cultured and bacterial communitieswithin plant organs were highly diverse the activity of these organisms, might affect growth anddevelopment as well as plant health. The endophytic communities associated with leaves ofdiseased plants were less diverse and abundant than in healthy plants. May be pathogens arecompeting for nutrients and favorable niches contributing in this way to a reduction in speciesrichness and equity, leading this to an unbalanced community, at least compared to healthyplants. So most probably, the microbiome of each plant works as a shield, whose strengthremains on diversity, which is crucial for the success of pathogenesis development and alsofor the establishment of biocontrol agents.