Rhizosphere metagenomics on cactus plants.

Arid areas are characterized by a poor water supply, as their precipitation and atmospheric humidity are below the annual global average. The Cactaceae Family is native to the American continent comprising about 2000 species. This plant family has successfully colonized arid and semi-arid environments in the herbaceous, shrubby and arboreal strata, becoming key elements in the structure and dynamics of the plant communities of the semi Arid Zones (ASZ). This study aimed to characterize under an NGS approach, the rhizospheric bacterial communities associated with Echinocactus. platyacanthus and Neobuxbaumia polylopha growing in wild and cultivated conditions.