The effect of domestication on Malus microbiome. Malus domestica

Plant evolution and domestication, however, have taken place amid diverse microbial communities inhabiting the surface (epiphytes) and internal spaces (endophytes) of plants. Malus sieversii represents the primary progenitor of domesticated apple (Malus domestica) cultivars with additional genetic contributions from M. orientalis, M. prunifolia, and M. sylvestris. Here, we examine the effect of domestication and species identity on the composition of the endophytic microbiome of Malus species, representing three major groups: 1) domesticated apple (Malus domestica), 2) apple progenitor species, and 3) wild Malus species, from Asia and North America, that are not believed to have contributed to apple domestication.Results We demonstrated a high degree of similarity in the endophytic microbiome of domesticated apple and its progenitor species, while other wild Malus species were found to have a distinct microbiome. Contrary to our expectations both M. domestica and its progenitor species had a higher microbial diversity than wild species. The core microbiome of Malus species comprises taxa such as Sphingomonas, Methylobacterium, Aureobasidium, Filobasidium, and Cladosporium, all of which were recently shown to be the global core microbiome of the apple fruit.Conclusion: The study provides a comprehensive analysis of the endophytic microbiome across Malus species and evidence indicating that the endophytic microbiome of domesticated apple may have co-evolved with its progenitor species. The study also provides new insight into the relation between phylogenic distances of plants and their associated microbial community composition.