Seed banking impacts native Acacia ulicifolia seed microbiome composition and function
Abstract Background Seed banks are a vital resource for preserving plant species diversity globally. However, seedling establishment and survival rates from banked seeds can be poor. Despite a growing appreciation for the role of seed-associated microbiota in supporting seed quality and plant health...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Microbiome |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40793-024-00657-3 |
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| author | Dylan Russell Vaheesan Rajabal Matthew Alfonzetti Marlien M. van der Merwe Rachael V. Gallagher Sasha G. Tetu |
| author_facet | Dylan Russell Vaheesan Rajabal Matthew Alfonzetti Marlien M. van der Merwe Rachael V. Gallagher Sasha G. Tetu |
| author_sort | Dylan Russell |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Seed banks are a vital resource for preserving plant species diversity globally. However, seedling establishment and survival rates from banked seeds can be poor. Despite a growing appreciation for the role of seed-associated microbiota in supporting seed quality and plant health, our understanding of the effects of conventional seed banking processes on seed microbiomes remains limited. In this study we investigated the composition and functional potential of seed-associated bacterial epiphytes associated with stored and freshly collected seeds of a native plant, Acacia ulicifolia, using both 16S rRNA gene sequencing and culture-based approaches. Results Seeds obtained from seed banking facilities were found to host significantly less diverse bacterial populations, with substantial reductions in both low-abundance taxa and in community members commonly identified in freshly collected A. ulicifolia seeds. Bacteria with key plant growth promoting traits including IAA production, ACC deaminase activity, phosphate solubilisation, siderophore activity, and nitrogen fixation were identified in seed epiphytic communities, but these beneficial traits were less prevalent in stored seed compared to fresh seeds. Conclusion Overall, these results suggest that epiphytic seed microbiomes may undergo significant changes during the storage process, selecting for bacteria tolerant to storage conditions, and potentially reducing the population of plant-growth promoting bacteria on seeds. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dd4cd4a66be341fe9caa8101d094f0e5 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2524-6372 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Microbiome |
| spelling | doaj-art-dd4cd4a66be341fe9caa8101d094f0e52025-01-19T12:39:21ZengBMCEnvironmental Microbiome2524-63722025-01-0120111610.1186/s40793-024-00657-3Seed banking impacts native Acacia ulicifolia seed microbiome composition and functionDylan Russell0Vaheesan Rajabal1Matthew Alfonzetti2Marlien M. van der Merwe3Rachael V. Gallagher4Sasha G. Tetu5School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie UniversitySchool of Natural Sciences, Macquarie UniversitySchool of Natural Sciences, Macquarie UniversityResearch Centre for Ecosystem Resilience, Australian Institute of Botanical Science, Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain TrustHawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney UniversitySchool of Natural Sciences, Macquarie UniversityAbstract Background Seed banks are a vital resource for preserving plant species diversity globally. However, seedling establishment and survival rates from banked seeds can be poor. Despite a growing appreciation for the role of seed-associated microbiota in supporting seed quality and plant health, our understanding of the effects of conventional seed banking processes on seed microbiomes remains limited. In this study we investigated the composition and functional potential of seed-associated bacterial epiphytes associated with stored and freshly collected seeds of a native plant, Acacia ulicifolia, using both 16S rRNA gene sequencing and culture-based approaches. Results Seeds obtained from seed banking facilities were found to host significantly less diverse bacterial populations, with substantial reductions in both low-abundance taxa and in community members commonly identified in freshly collected A. ulicifolia seeds. Bacteria with key plant growth promoting traits including IAA production, ACC deaminase activity, phosphate solubilisation, siderophore activity, and nitrogen fixation were identified in seed epiphytic communities, but these beneficial traits were less prevalent in stored seed compared to fresh seeds. Conclusion Overall, these results suggest that epiphytic seed microbiomes may undergo significant changes during the storage process, selecting for bacteria tolerant to storage conditions, and potentially reducing the population of plant-growth promoting bacteria on seeds.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40793-024-00657-3Seed storageConservationNative seed microbiotaSeed epiphytesPlant growth-promoting traitsBacterial traits |
| spellingShingle | Dylan Russell Vaheesan Rajabal Matthew Alfonzetti Marlien M. van der Merwe Rachael V. Gallagher Sasha G. Tetu Seed banking impacts native Acacia ulicifolia seed microbiome composition and function Environmental Microbiome Seed storage Conservation Native seed microbiota Seed epiphytes Plant growth-promoting traits Bacterial traits |
| title | Seed banking impacts native Acacia ulicifolia seed microbiome composition and function |
| title_full | Seed banking impacts native Acacia ulicifolia seed microbiome composition and function |
| title_fullStr | Seed banking impacts native Acacia ulicifolia seed microbiome composition and function |
| title_full_unstemmed | Seed banking impacts native Acacia ulicifolia seed microbiome composition and function |
| title_short | Seed banking impacts native Acacia ulicifolia seed microbiome composition and function |
| title_sort | seed banking impacts native acacia ulicifolia seed microbiome composition and function |
| topic | Seed storage Conservation Native seed microbiota Seed epiphytes Plant growth-promoting traits Bacterial traits |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40793-024-00657-3 |
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