Mailing address: University of Waterloo: Biology 1 – 377B, 200 University Ave. W. Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3G1
Email: wcmr.manager@uwaterloo.ca
Phone: 519.573.3349
Office: Biology 1, room 377B, University of Waterloo
Asaf Levy - Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Plants intimately associate with diverse bacteria. Plant-associated bacteria have ostensibly evolved genes that enable them to adapt to plant environments. However, the identities of such genes are mostly unknown, and their functions are poorly characterized.
We sequenced 484 genomes of bacterial isolates from roots of Brassicaceae, poplar, and maize. We then compared 3,837 bacterial genomes to identify thousands of plant-associated gene clusters.
Genomes of plant-associated bacteria encode more carbohydrate metabolism functions and fewer mobile elements than related non-plant-associated genomes do.
We experimentally validated candidates from two sets of plant-associated genes: one involved in plant colonization, and the other serving in microbe–microbe competition between plant-associated bacteria. We also identified 64 plant-associated protein domains that potentially mimic plant domains; some are shared with plant-associated fungi and oomycetes.
This work expands the genome-based understanding of plant–microbe interactions and provides potential leads for efficient and sustainable agriculture through microbiome engineering.
The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is centralized within our Office of Indigenous Relations.