The Effect of Plant Geographical Location and Developmental Stage on Root-Associated Microbiomes of Gymnadenia conopsea

Abstract

Gymnadenia conopsea (L.) R. Br. is an important perennial terrestrial photosynthetic orchid species whose microbiomes are considered to play an important role in helping its germination and growth. However, the assemblage of G. conopsea root-associated microbial communities is poorly understood. The compositions of fungal and bacterial communities from the roots and corresponding soil samples in G. conopsea across distinct biogeographical regions from two significantly different altitudes were characterized at the vegetative and reproductive growth stages. The geographical location, developmental stage and compartment were factors contributing to microbiome variation in G. conopsea. Predominant fungal taxa include Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Mortierellomycota and Chytridiomycota, whereas Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Chloroflexi, TM7 and Planctomycetes were predominant bacterial taxa. Using G. conopsea as a model, the structural and functional composition in G. conopsea root-associated microbiomes were comprehensive analyzed. Contrary to previous studies, biogeography was the main factor influencing the microbial community in this study. Besides, compartment and developmental stage should also be considered to analyze the variation of microbiota composition. Although the microbial composition varied greatly by location, the symbiotic microorganisms of G. conopsea still have certain specificity. This study gives an abundant information of G. conopsea root-associated microbiomes and provides new clues to better understanding the factors affecting the composition and diversity of fungal/bacterial communities associated with orchids. Our results also laying a foundation for harnessing the microbiome for sustainable G. conopsea cultivation. Moreover, these results might be generally applicable to other orchidaceae plants.

Global Analysis of the Apple Fruit Microbiome: Are All Apples the Same?

“…However, the present study had an insu cient distribution of samples to evaluate this premise. Nevertheless, the geographical location has been previously reported to be one of the most important determinants of the structure of the plant microbiome [50,51]. A study of the maize rhizosphere found that location had a higher impact on the plant microbiome than genotype [52].…”

The Diversity Analysis and Functional Prediction of Endophytic Fungi Community of Gymnadenia Conopsea from Different Altitudes in Tibet

“…Yuan et al (2018) showed that endophytic fungal community diversity tended to decrease with increasing altitude. Previous literature reported different diversities of endophytes in the roots of G. conopsea from two geographically distant locations (Lin et al 2020), but the interference of climate differences could not be well excluded. There are few reports on the effects of the same geographical location at different altitudes on the endophytic community structure in different tissues and rhizosphere soils of G. conopsea.…”

“…In recent years, tubers have also been used as an ingredient and tonic added to food by the local people in Tibet to strengthen their bodies and prevent illness (Shang et al 2017). Due to overexploitation, habitat destruction, and its low natural reproductive capacity, the numbers of G. conopsea are decreasing rapidly (Shang et al 2017;Lin et al 2020;Gao et al 2020). This species has been listed in the grade II section of endangered species by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) (Lin et al 2020).…”

“…Gymnadenia conopsea, which is widely distributed in Ireland, England, Russia, Japan, Nepal, the Korean Peninsula, and China, is a perennial and terrestrial herb of the Gymnadenia genus in the Orchidaceae family (Lin et al 2020). In Tibet, G. conopsea mainly grows in forests, grasslands, and waterlogged meadows at altitudes of 1,265-4,700 m (Shang et al 2017).…”

“…Due to overexploitation, habitat destruction, and its low natural reproductive capacity, the numbers of G. conopsea are decreasing rapidly (Shang et al 2017;Lin et al 2020;Gao et al 2020). This species has been listed in the grade II section of endangered species by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) (Lin et al 2020). Therefore, it is urgent to protect the resources of this species.…”