Pathogen-driven restructuring of needle-associated microbial communities during Picea Schrenkiana needle blight progression

This study investigates the epiphytic and endophytic microbial communities associated with Picea schrenkiana needles. Samples were collected from trees exhibiting three different health statuses: healthy, 50% infected, and 100% infected by leaf blight. High-throughput amplicon sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene and fungal ITS region was performed to characterize the microbiome diversity and composition changes associated with disease progression. This data provides insights into the micro-ecological mechanisms of leaf blight in Picea schrenkiana.