Seed microbiome diversity, transmission, and assembly

Our new piece on the microbiome of seeds is available online early at Current Opinion in Microbiology! This piece is the result of a collaboration with Matthieu Barret and Marie-Agnes at the INRA, France.

Reference:

Shade A, M-A Jacques, and M Barret. Ecological patterns of seed microbiome diversity, transmission, and assembly. Current Opinion in Microbiology. doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.mib.2017.03.010

Highlights

• Seeds harbor numerous micro-organisms, collectively referred to as microbiota.

• The composition of the seed microbiota can impact seed quality and ultimately plant fitness.

• Seed-associated micro-organisms could be vertically or horizontally inherited depending on their transmissions pathways.

• Niche and neutral processes are both involved in the assembly of the seed microbiota.