Colonization of pollen by bacterial pathogens and seed microbiome through plant domestication

Seeds are inhabited by diverse microbial communities that have important repercussions for plant growth and development. The role of these communities, the routes by which bacteria colonise seeds, and the factors that determine the composition of these communities remain poorly understood. Preliminary evidence suggests that wild progenitors differ from domesticated relatives not only in terms of their genetic composition and plant phenotype, but also with respect to their plant-associated microbial communities. As the process of domestication has significantly altered the properties of seeds in many cultivated crops, this raises the important question of whether domestication has also altered the seed microbiome. In this research study we will use Phaseolus spp. as model plants to investigate whether domestication has altered the seed-associated microbiome. Furthermore, we will use Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola, a seed-borne bacterial disease, as a model organism to understand the routes of infection leading to seed colonisation.

BBSRC PRIORITY AREA ADDRESSED
- Sustainably enhancing agricultural production
- Global Food Security