Colonization cues of leaf- and root-inhabiting bacterial microbiota of Atractylodes lancea derived in vitro and in vivo

Background and aims Recent studies have demonstrated that leaf inhabiting endophytic bacteria can be selective derived from the air, and root inhabiting endophytic bacteria can selectively come from the soil. We wonder if inhabiting bacteria in plant leaves can also come from the roots, and vice versa. Methods We designed an experimental device to study plant Atractylodes lancea acquirements of bacterial endophytes from both the inside and abiotic environment. Inhabiting bacterial microbiota and volatile oil profiles in leaf and root compartment of Atractylodes lancea were estimated through Illumina Mi-seq platform and gas chromatography, respectively. Results The majority of inhabiting bacterial endophytes in leaves and roots were coming from the soil. However, air-borne bacteria also participated in defining root endophytic bacteria populations. The bacteria population from different Atractylodes lancea compartments are under different selection, thus ultimately root and leaf endophyte types differ, which ultimately influence the volatile oil profiles in the leaf and root compartments of Atractylodes lancea . Conclusions These results provide a first glimpse of the inhabiting bacterial microbiota that transmit between inside of plant leaf and root compartments.