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Poster

Session: Session 2 Presenting Authors at Posters (Evens)

P-356 - Linking root microbiota assembly with phyllosphere microbiota homeostasis

Thursday, July 17, 2025
13:30 - 15:15  
Location: Confex Hall 3
Plant microbiota functions and intermicrobial interactions
Plant roots selectively recruit soil-derived bacteria, fungi, and oomycetes—that have evolved independently in distinct kingdoms of life—to contribute to the maintenance of microbiota homeostasis. However, the mechanisms by which these microorganisms influence phyllosphere health and leaf microbiota colonization via long-distance root-to-shoot interactions remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigate the causal interconnections between root and shoot microbiota establishment by testing the hypothesis that phyllosphere microbiota composition can be modulated by root-associated microbes through ectopic colonization of microbes from root to shoot or long-distance signaling mechanisms. We established synthetic multi-kingdom Arabidopsis-associated microbial communities (SynComs), comprising root-derived isolates (96 bacterial strains, 18 fungal strains, and 1 oomycete) and leaf-derived isolates (34 bacterial strains and 5 fungal strains). We further developed a system for Arabidopsis cultivation and targeted inoculation with root- and leaf-specific SynComs, coupled with microbiome profiling techniques. Our preliminary findings suggest that root-associated microbiota exert diverse influences on shoot health status and we are currently testing the impact of belowground microbes on aboveground microbial community composition and diversity.