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- Title
Bacterial niches inside seeds of <italic>Cucumis melo </italic>L.
- Authors
Glassner, Hanoch; Zchori-Fein, Einat; Yaron, Sima; Sessitsch, Angela; Sauer, Ursula; Compant, Stéphane
- Abstract
Background and aims: Seeds are inhabited by diverse bacterial and fungal taxa whose colonization patterns are little understood. We hypothesized, however, that specific niches within seeds host microbes.Methods: In this study, the putative presence of bacteria, inhabiting the seed endosphere of an angiosperm, the melon <italic>Cucumis melo reticulatus</italic> group cv. ‘Dulce’, was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser-scanning microscopy coupled with double labeling of oligonucleotide probes for fluorescence in situ hybridization (DOPE-FISH).Results: SEM images showed microbial-like structures in different tissues and FISH revealed endophytic bacteria colonizing the outer and inner seed parts, on perisperm/endosperm envelope, inside the cotyledons as parts of the embryo, and, to a lesser extent, inside embryonic hypocotyl-root axis tissues. <italic>Alphaproteobacteria</italic> were shown to inhabit the seed coat and the envelope surrounding the embryonic hypocotyl-root tissues, but could not be seen in the cotyledons, whereas <italic>Betaproteobacteria</italic> were only detected in the outer seed coat. Some <italic>Gammaproteobacteria</italic> were also seen in the outer seed coat, but were mainly visualized in the cotyledons with a few inside the seed’s embryonic hypocotyl-root tissues, among other bacteria. <italic>Firmicutes</italic> were visualized inside the seed coat, but mostly inside the cotyledon tissues, on the perisperm/endosperm envelope and inside the embryonic hypocotyl-root axis tissues. Microscopy revealed <italic>Actinobacteria</italic> inside the inner and outer seed coat and inside the embryonic parts such as cotyledons, with a few inside the hypocotyl-root axis.Conclusions: This is the first demonstration of niches for the most active groups of bacteria inhabiting different seed tissues of an angiosperm.
- Subjects
SEED microbiology; MUSKMELON; ECOLOGICAL niche; ENDOPHYTIC bacteria; BACTERIAL diversity; SCANNING electron microscopy
- Publication
Plant & Soil, 2018, Vol 422, Issue 1/2, p101
- ISSN
0032-079X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s11104-017-3175-3