Researchers from Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Laboratory of Genetics at the Nature Research Center conducted a comparative analysis of the endophytic bacterial microbiomes in healthy andphytoplasma-infected European blueberry plants.
It is known that the microbiome is important for the health and growth of European blueberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) and changes when plants are infected with phytoplasma, a dangerous plant pathogen.
This study compared the endophytic bacterial microbiome of healthy and phytoplasma-infected blueberries (Candidatus Phytoplasma pruni and C. Phytoplasma trifolii) using next-generation sequencing. The study showed that infected plants have a higher bacterial diversity (ASV abundance), but the overall distribution of the microbiome does not differ significantly from healthy plants.
Certain beneficial bacteria, such as Azospirillaceae and Beijerinckiaceae, were found to be more abundant in infected plants, which can promote growth or help withstand stress. Meanwhile, the microbiome of healthy plants was characterized by a higher prevalence of Gammaproteobacteria, including Rhizobium.
These results reveal that phytoplasma infection affects not only plant physiology but also its microbiome, creating niches for new microorganisms. This may open the way for microbiome diagnostics or even biocontrol tools to combat phytoplasma diseases.
