From seed to seed: the role of microbial inheritance in the assembly of the plant microbiome

Low nitrogen fertilization enriches nitrogen‐fixing bacteria in the Brassica seed microbiome of subsequent generations

“…In a previous study, we estimated that up to 53% of the B. napus seed microbiota originated from the father (Wassermann et al, 2022). However, the inheritance modes of the plant microbiome and the contribution of the parents, particularly that of the pollen, is still a largely undisclosed field (Abdelfattah et al, 2022).…”

“…The seed microbiome is mainly composed of microbes that originate from their parent's endosphere, while some are also introduced via air and rain or via pollinators through flowers (Shade et al, 2017; Vannier et al, 2018). The specific factors that enable the transmission from ‘plant‐to‐seed’ and why certain seed microbes even sustain over generations within the host, that is, from ‘seed‐to‐seed’, remains to be decoded (Abdelfattah et al, 2022). Yet, plant genetics and phenotype, abiotic conditions as well as the environmental microbiome, particularly that of soil, play decisive roles (Rodríguez et al, 2020; Taffner et al, 2020; Walsh et al, 2021).…”

Seed-to-Seed: Plant Core Vertically Transmitted Microbiota

“…45 This exchange between flowers and insects allows insect-transmitted bacteria to colonize plant ovules and subsequent seeds, which provides them the opportunity to enter the next generation of plants. 36 The large number of carbon sources present in nectar attracts many microbes to colonize, but the unique environment of nectar which includes high osmotic pressure, toxic hydrogen peroxide, and possible oxygen limitation, influences the choice of recruiting microbes. 46 These microbes that colonize flowers later in plant growth may eventually enter the seeds and become seedtransmitted microbes.…”

“…Prado et al (2020) 36 investigated the changes in seed microbiota in oilseed rape exposed to two different bee species, Apis mellifera and Osmia bicornis. The study showed that A. mellifera visitation reduced the richness and diversity of seed bacteria but increased the variability of the seed microbial structure.…”

“…Studies have shown that these endophytic bacteria exist in seeds throughout the plant’s life cycle, usually traveling through the plant’s xylem vessels or other nonvascular tissues via transpiration, flagellar movement, or other mechanisms to various vegetative organs of the plant (including rhizomes, leaves, or intracellular chambers). ,,, This colonization can occur through point-to-point or whole-body spread and may be transferred to the reproductive organs of the plant (such as flowers, fruits, and seeds) during later growth stages. Endophytic bacteria that move into seeds can be transmitted to the next generation. − …”