Seed-Derived Synthetic Microbial Communities (SynComs) from <i>Medicago</i> Wild Relatives Modulate Early Plant Microbiome Assembly and Phenotypic Traits in Lucerne (<i>Medicago sativa</i> L.).

ABSTRACT: Seed-associated microbiomes represent an underexplored frontier in synthetic community (SynCom) design, particularly in forage legumes such as lucerne (Medicago sativa L.), where early microbial assembly can shape plant development. Crop wild relatives (CWRs) harbour more diverse seed microbiomes and may contain microbes with greater functional potential than domesticated lucerne. To test this, SynComs were constructed from seed-borne bacteria isolated from M. laciniata (drought-resilient) and M. littoralis (salt-tolerant). Two three-strain SynComs were assembled from taxa consistently shared across lucerne and its CWRs, and a third six-strain 'Mix' SynCom combined both sets. The aim of this study was to assess whether these SynComs exert phenotypic effects on lucerne

SUBMITTER: Herath Dissanayakalage SS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12472412 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature