Microbiome assembly, dynamics, and recruitment within the wheat

Prudence, Sam (2021) Microbiome assembly, dynamics, and recruitment within the wheat. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

Preview

PDF Download (9MB) | Preview

Abstract

Wheat is a staple crop for 40% of the global population. However, yields over the remainder of the 21st century will become strained by climate change, necessitating new innovations to maintain and increase productivity. Root associated microbial communities have demonstrated the capacity to improve yields by increasing nutrient bioavailability, alleviating abiotic stress, and providing disease protection.

This project aimed to characterise the microbial community associated with wheat, to identify core microbial taxa associated with the roots, thus likely to provide benefits to the host. This project also aimed to understand which factors influence the microbiome, and which of these taxa utilise host derived carbon.

16S rRNA gene and ITS2 region metabarcoding of the bacterial, fungal, and archaeal communities within the rhizosphere and endosphere of wheat revealed that soil type had a major impact on the community composition, whilst plant genotype had a limited effect on the microbiome. Five core bacterial families were enriched within the rhizosphere or endosphere of wheat regardless of soil type or genotype, Streptomycetaceae, Burkholderiaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, Rhizobiaceae, and Chitinophagaceae. Streptomycetaceae and Burkholderiaceae were the most abundant families within the endosphere. Full length 16S rRNA gene sequencing resolved these groups to the species or genus level. Developmental senescence was shown to negatively impact the abundance of these groups, demonstrating input from the living plant is required to maintain their presence within the endosphere. Stable isotope probing showed nine bacterial taxa utilised host derived carbon, including Pseudomonadaceae and Burkholderiaceae.

Overall, this project has provided significant progress towards our understanding of the core bacterial families associated with wheat roots. This can be followed up with investigations into the roles these microbes play within the root, and how they interact with the host. In the future this understanding could lead to new ways of utilising the capabilities of the microbial community for agriculture.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Biological Sciences
Depositing User:	Chris White
Date Deposited:	16 Mar 2022 16:51
Last Modified:	16 Mar 2022 16:51
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/84083
DOI:

Downloads

Actions (login required)

View Item