Leaf fungal pathogen modulates phyllosphere microbiomes. phyllosphere microbiomes

The phyllosphere harbours several complex microbial communities that have the ability to tolerate harsh environmental conditions. Several beneficial microbes living on the foliar surface of leaves that play important roles on plant health and growth, like defence against plant pathogens. In this study we tested the hypothesis that beneficial phyllosphere microorganisms induce resistance against foliar pathogens. We investigated the effect of the fungal pathogen Alternaria brassicicola on bacterial microbiome of Arabidopsis thaliana leaves. Amplicons of 16S rRNA gene sequencing were conducted for bacterial and fungal identification along with, dual-culture inhibition assays to screen for survivors and competitors of microbial communities. Our results revealed that infection with A. brassicicola altered the microbial community composition of A. thaliana leaves. In addition, microbial isolates from the phyllosphere were found to inhibit foliar fungal pathogens. Prospects from our findings propose potential improvements in developing new biocontrol agents to inhibit fungal pathogens affecting the phylloplane of agricultural crops, by isolating and applying bioactive phyllosphere derived bacteria in field.