Phyllosphere microbial communities are modulated by pathogen coinfection, but not a plant defense hormone
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Phyllosphere microbial communities play important roles in plant health, yet the roles of plant defense hormones and coinfections in shaping these communities remain unclear. This study investigated how exogenous application of the plant defense hormone salicylic acid and fungal coinfection influenced microbial communities on leaves of tall fescue. In a factorial experiment, we treated leaves with salicylic acid (at 100 mg/L) or a control solution and inoculated them with one of four inoculation treatments: Rhizoctonia solani alone, mock inoculation, co-inoculation with both R. solani and Colletotrichum cereale, or mock co-inoculation. We characterized the fungal and bacterial communities using ITS and 16S rRNA gene sequencing, respectively. Salicylic acid application did not significantly alter the diversity, composition, or taxa abundances of either fungal or bacterial communities. In contrast, co-inoculation significantly shifted fungal community composition and increased fungal diversity compared to inoculation with R. solani alone. Bacterial communities were not significantly impacted by either inoculation treatment. These results suggest that in this system, coinfection has a stronger influence on phyllosphere fungal communities than exogenous salicylic acid application. Our findings highlight the potential for pathogen coinfections to shape plant-associated microbial communities, particularly fungi, and emphasize the need for further research on the effects of salicylic acid across different host species and experimental approaches.
Source: PLoS ONE
Institutions: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,382
Funders: National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mayo Clinic, American Heart Association, Walther Cancer Foundation, Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, University of Southern California, Vanderbilt University, Oregon Health and Science University, New York University, Boston University, University of New Mexico, University of Kentucky, Cure Alzheimer's Fund, University of Washington, University of Kansas, Johns Hopkins University, University of Pittsburgh, Rush University, Canadian Rheumatology Association, Mike and Josie Harper Cancer Research Institute, Università degli Studi di Siena, Office of National Drug Control Policy, UK Research and Innovation, Innovative Research Group Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Southern Methodist University, National Institute for Health and Care Research, Macquarie University, Royal Society Te Apārangi, Canada Research Chairs, National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Science Council, Austrian Science Fund, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Krebsliga Schweiz, International Atomic Energy Agency, NordForsk, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province, Norges Forskningsråd, Kultúrna a Edukacná Grantová Agentúra MŠVVaŠ SR, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e Inovação do Espírito Santo, Hebei Agricultural University, Ministry of Science and ICT, South Korea, Liaoning Revitalization Talents Program, National Institutes of Health, Research Foundation for the State University of New York, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Marshall Space Flight Center, University of California, Davis, University of California, San Francisco, University of California, Irvine, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council, Australian Research Council, Applied Basic Research Key Project of Yunnan, Marsden Fund, National Key Research and Development Program of China, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, Medical and Health Research Project of Zhejiang Province, National Institute on Aging, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Office of Naval Research, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, Army Research Office, Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area, Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane
OpenAlex ID: W7126092785