Evaluating the hologenome concept by analyzing the root-endosphere microbiota of chimeric plants
Marine Biget,
Tingting Wang,
Cendrine Mony,
Qicheng Xu,
Lucie Lecoq,
Véronique Chable,
Kevin R. Theis,
Ning Ling,
Philippe Vandenkoornhuyse
Affiliations
Marine Biget
Université de Rennes 1, CNRS, UMR 6553 ECOBIO (écosystèmes, biodiversité, évolution), 35000 Rennes, France
Tingting Wang
Université de Rennes 1, CNRS, UMR 6553 ECOBIO (écosystèmes, biodiversité, évolution), 35000 Rennes, France; Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Organic Solid Waste Utilization, National Engineering Research Center for Organic-based Fertilizers, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Cendrine Mony
Université de Rennes 1, CNRS, UMR 6553 ECOBIO (écosystèmes, biodiversité, évolution), 35000 Rennes, France
Qicheng Xu
Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Organic Solid Waste Utilization, National Engineering Research Center for Organic-based Fertilizers, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Lucie Lecoq
Université de Rennes 1, CNRS, UMR 6553 ECOBIO (écosystèmes, biodiversité, évolution), 35000 Rennes, France
Véronique Chable
UMR BAGAP INRAE, Centre Bretagne-Normandie, Domaine de la Motte, BP35327, 35653 Le Rheu Cedex, France
Kevin R. Theis
Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
Ning Ling
Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Organic Solid Waste Utilization, National Engineering Research Center for Organic-based Fertilizers, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; Corresponding author
Philippe Vandenkoornhuyse
Université de Rennes 1, CNRS, UMR 6553 ECOBIO (écosystèmes, biodiversité, évolution), 35000 Rennes, France; Corresponding author
Summary: The hologenome concept considers the entity formed by a host and its microbiota, the holobiont, as new level of hierarchical organization subject to neutral and selective forces. We used grafted plants to formally evaluate the hologenome concept. We analyzed the root-endosphere microbiota of two independent watermelon and grapevine plant systems, including ungrafted and reciprocal-grafting combinations. Grafted and ungrafted hosts harbor markedly different microbiota compositions. Furthermore, the results indicate a non-random assembly of bacterial communities inhabiting the root endosphere of chimeric plants with interactive effect of both the rootstock and scion on the recruitment of microorganisms. Because chimeric plants did not have a random microbiota, the null hypothesis that holobionts assemble randomly and hologenome concept is an intellectual construction only can be rejected. The study supports the relevance of hologenome as biological level of organization and opens new avenues for a better fundamental understanding of plants as holobionts.
