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Flavonoid-mediated plant-microbiome interactions shape competitive outcomes between native and non-native mangroves

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Understanding how non-native plants outcompete native species is a central question in ecology and critical for ecosystem management. Plant-microbiome interactions have been proposed to shape competitive outcomes and invasion success, yet such underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. This is particularly critical for globally important blue carbon ecosystems such as mangroves, where the non-native Sonneratia apetala is known to suppress the native Kandelia obovata . However, the mechanistic basis for this competitive suppression has not been resolved yet. Here we investigated interspecific competition between the S. apetala and K. obovata using multi-omics analyses (metagenomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics) under controlled experiments. We found that co-cultivation with S. apetala reduced K. obovata dry biomass by 25.0% and downregulated flavonoid biosynthesis genes, accompanied by reduced levels of flavonoids in root exudates (e.g., catechin, baohuoside I, phloretin). Also, flavonoids were identified as key root exudates associated with the alteration of rhizosphere microbiomes, and their reduced exudation from K. obovata in the co-culture accompanied by decreased relative abundance of microbial groups (e.g., Coleofasciculaceae , Coraliomargaritaceae ) harboring genes involved in nitrogen fixation, phosphorus cycling, and cobalamin biosynthesis. Moreover, catechin (a representative flavonoid) amendment to plant-free sediments increased the abundance of microbial functional genes related to these processes, suggesting that catechin can alter microbial functional profiles under plant-free sediment conditions. Our results clarify how flavonoid-mediated plant-microbiome interactions shape competitive outcomes of non-native S. apetala and native K. obovata , offering a mechanistic insight for understanding biological invasions. This study provides perspectives for integrating mangrove-microbiome interactions into microbiome engineering in future mangrove reforestation and blue carbon management. Video Abstract

Source: Microbiome

DOI: 10.1186/s40168-026-02575-7

Authors: Xiaoli Yu, Ruiwen Hu, Lu Qian, Yisheng Peng, Daoming Wu, Ziying He, Zhiming Zhu, Mingyang Niu, Kun Wu, Shi Xiao, Suhua Shi, Faming Wang, Qiang He, Yun Tian, Jianguo He, Qingyun Yan, Zhili He

Institutions: Sun Yat-sen University, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, South China Agricultural University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, South China Botanical Garden, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Xiamen University

Language: English

Topic: Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics

Subfield: Ecology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $4,990

OpenAlex ID: W7225633431

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