Fungal microbiome of Opuntia ficus-indica in rhizosphere (Soil) and roots samples collected following bioclimatic aridity gradient in Tunisia

Climate change is increasing the degree of aridity in drylands. Soil fungi are largely responsible for key ecosystem services, including soil fertility and climate regulation. The species Opuntia ficus indica (Prickly pear) is considered one of the most known natural tolerant plants widely planted and successfully associated with water harvesting structures. It was suggested that this capability to be adapted to climate change in dry areas depends on the presence of efficient soil microbes for early establishment and subsequent growth under abiotic stress within a revegetation process and nutrients management. However, the associations Opuntia cacti establish with microorganisms and the rules governing microbial community assembly remain poorly understood.In order to characterize the cactus specific stress-microbes association mechanisms under adverse climatic conditions and its microbial symbionts effects, fungal diversity was investigated using and high-throughput sequencing (Mi-seq Illumina) approaches. Soil and roots samples were collected following a bioclimatic gradient from fertile soil to desert.