Bacterial and fungal microbiota associated with flower pollen. Pollen microbiome

Diverse microorganisms colonise the different plant-microhabitats, such as rhizosphere, and phyllosphere, and play key roles for the host. However, bacteria and fungi associated with pollen are poorly investigated, despite its ecological, commercial and medical relevance. Due to its structure and nutritive composition, pollen provides a unique microhabitat. Here, we examine the bacterial and fungal abundance, community structure, diversity and colonization pattern of pollens, using high-throughput sequencing. The pollens were collected from eight different plant species in the region of Giessen (Germany).