Manure and biochar have limited effect on lettuce leaf endophyte resistome

Soil amendment with manure compost and biochar is widely adopted to improve soil fertility and promote plant growth, and their effects on soil microbial communities and resistome have been well documented. However, there is sparse information regarding their effects on vegetable endophytes, which represent a major source of human exposure to pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) when eaten raw. Here, we investigated the impacts of manure compost or biochar addition on the bacterial community compositions and ARGs in the soil-lettuce continuum including soil, seed, leaf, and root samples. A total of 137 ARGs and 31 mobile genetic elements (MGEs) were detected in all the samples after 60 days of cultivation. The relative abundance of ARGs and the diversity of bacteria communities presented a consistent decreasing trend from soil to root endophytes, then leaf endophytes. Manure compost addition increased the diversity and abundance of ARGs in soil, while significant changes in the ARG profiles and bacterial communities were not observed in leaf endophytes after manure compost or biochar addition, or both. Bipartite networks analysis suggested that seed microbiome was one of the major sources of plant endophytes and ARGs. Twenty potential human pathogens were isolated from lettuce, indicating potential exposure risk to pathogens via the consumption of raw lettuce. These results suggest limited impacts of manure compost and biochar addition on lettuce endophytes and highlight the contribution of seed microbiome to endophyte ARG profiles.

Automated summary

This study investigated the effects of manure compost and biochar on bacterial community compositions and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in soil, seed, leaf, and root samples. The results showed that manure compost addition increased the diversity and abundance of ARGs in soil, but had limited impacts on leaf endophytes. The seed microbiome was found to be a major source of plant endophytes and ARGs.