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Poster

Session: Session 2 Presenting Authors at Posters (Evens)

P-324 - Engineering the tree microbiome to suppress bacteria associated with Acute Oak Decline.

Thursday, July 17, 2025
13:30 - 15:15  
Location: Confex Hall 3
Plant microbiota functions and intermicrobial interactions

Acute Oak Decline (AOD) is a tree decline disease mainly characterized by stem weeping patches and inner bark tissue necrosis. Necrosis is caused by a polymicrobial complex where the bacterial species Brenneria goodwinii and Gibsiella quercinecans are predominant. Trees host a unique microbiome that can display tree health-promoting traits such as pathogen suppression. In this study, we evaluated the potential of the oak microbiota to combat AOD bacteria using oak logs and saplings as study systems. A microbial culture collection comprising >20,000 microbial isolates was obtained from 150 oak trees from across the UK. We selected 341 isolates with suppressive activity against B. goodwinii and G. quercinecans and 331 isolates associated with asymptomatic trees for identification by Sanger-sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. These isolates were classified into 39 genera and 96 species. Three synthetic communities (SynComs) of varying composition and richness were prepared using one representative strain of each species and tested in inoculation in planta assays. A SynCom composed of 48 pathogen-suppressive isolates reduced the load of B. goodwinii and G. quercinecans in oak saplings and logs. Our study demonstrates that the tree microbiome can be engineered for pathogen suppression and can be leveraged to support tree health.