Assembly and Ecological Function of the Root Microbiome Across
Assembly and ecological function of the root PNAS PLUS microbiome across angiosperm plant species Connor R. Fitzpatricka,b,1, Julia Copelandc, Pauline W. Wangc,d, David S. Guttmanc,d, Peter M. Kotanena,b, and Marc T. J. Johnsona,b aDepartment of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3B2, Canada; bDepartment of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada; cCentre for the Analysis of Genome Evolution & Function, University of Toronto, ON M5S 3B2, Canada; and dDepartment of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3B2, Canada Edited by Jeffery L. Dangl, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, and approved December 29, 2017 (received for review October 11, 2017) Across plants and animals, host-associated microbial communities (6, 10). However, our understanding of how variation among host play fundamental roles in host nutrition, development, and immu- species shapes endosphere and rhizosphere assembly remains lim- nity. The factors that shape host–microbiome interactions are poorly ited (6, 11–13), yet is essential for understanding how root micro- understood, yet essential for understanding the evolution and ecol- biota contribute to the ecology and performance of their hosts. ogy of these symbioses. Plant roots assemble two distinct microbial Plants must contend with numerous environmental stressors compartments from surrounding soil: the rhizosphere (microbes sur- throughout their lifetime. Competition between plants for shared rounding roots) and the endosphere (microbes within roots). Root- resources is an important biotic stressor shaping both ecological associated microbes were key for the evolution of land plants and and evolutionary outcomes (14, 15). Soil microbes have long been underlie fundamental ecosystem processes.
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