BackgroundPlants are colonized by a great diversity of microorganisms which form a microbiota and perform additional functions for their host. This microbiota can thus be considered a toolbox enabling plants to buffer local environmental changes, with a positive influence on plant fitness. In this context, the transmission of the microbiota to the progeny represent a way to ensure the presence of beneficial symbionts within the habitat. Examples of such transmission have been mainly described for seed transmission and concern a few pathogenic microorganisms. We investigated the transmission of symbiotic partners to plant progeny within clonal plant network.MethodsWe used the clonal plant Glechoma hederacea as plant model and forced newly emitted clonal progeny to root in separated pots while controlling the presence of microorganisms. We used an amplicon sequencing approach of 16S and 18S rRNA targeting bacteria/archaea and fungi respectively to describe the root microbiota of mother and clonal-plant offspring.ResultsWe demonstrated the vertical transmission of a significant proportion of the mother plants’ symbiotic bacteria and fungi to the daughters. Interestingly, archaea were not transmitted to the daughter plants. Transmitted communities had lower richness, suggesting a filtration during transmission. We found that the transmitted pool of microorganisms was similar among daughters, constituting the heritability of a specific cohort of microorganisms, opening a new understanding of the plant holobiont. We also found significant effects of distance to the mother plant and of growth time on the richness of the microbiota transmitted.ConclusionsIn this clonal plant, microorganisms are transmitted between individuals through connections, thereby ensuring the availability of microbe partners for the newborn plants as well as the dispersion between hosts for the microorganisms. This previously undescribed ecological process allows the dispersal of microorganisms in space and across plant generations. As the vast majority of plants are clonal, this process might be therefore a strong driver of ecosystem functioning and assembly of plant and microorganism communities in a wide range of ecosystems.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s40168-018-0459-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Fe-oxidizing bacteria of the family Gallionellaceae are major players in the Fe biogeochemical cycle in freshwater. These bacteria thrive in redox transition zones where they benefit from both high Fe concentrations and microaerobic conditions. We analysed the Gallionellaceae genomic diversity in an artesian hard-rock aquifer where redox transition zones develop (i) in the subsurface, where ancient, reduced groundwater mixes with recent oxygenated groundwater, and (ii) at the surface, where groundwater reaches the open air. A total of 15 new draft genomes of Gallionellaceae representing to 11 candidate genera were recovered from the two redox transition zones. Sulfur oxidation genes were encoded in most genomes while denitrification genes were much less represented. One genus dominated microbial communities belowground and we propose to name it ‘Candidatus Houarnoksidobacter’. The two transition zones were populated by completely different assemblages of Gallionellaceae despite the almost constant upward circulation of groundwater between the two zones. The processes leading to redox transition zones, oxygen diffusion at the surface or groundwater mixing in subsurface, appear to be a major driver of the Gallionellaceae diversity.
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