Polyploidy and microbiome associations mediate similar plant responses to pathogens

Here we investigate the effect of whole-genome duplication in Arabidopsis thaliana on the above-ground (phyllosphere) microbiome, and determine the interacting impacts of ploidy and microbiome on disease outcome. Using seven independently derived synthetic autotetraploid Arabidopsis accessions and a synthetic leaf-associated bacterial community, we confirm that polyploids are generally more resistant to the model pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. Tomato DC3000.