Niche-specific microbial diversity, interactions, and functional potential within the spinach microbiome.

ABSTRACT: Understanding the spatial organization and functional diversity of microbiomes across plant compartments is essential for unraveling the complex interactions between plants and their associated microbial consortia. This study examined the microbial communities associated with spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) across five ecological niches, using 16S rRNA and ITS amplicon sequencing, in two commercial conventional cultivars: Hammerhead and Traverse. Microbial diversity, community composition, co-occurrence networks, and functional potential showed cultivar-specific effects, especially in the fungal community. The niche was a significant factor influencing all microbiome parameters, showing the same pattern in both cultivars: highest in bulk soil, followed by the rhizosphere, leaf episph

SUBMITTER: Thenappan DP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12538574 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature