A core epiphytic bacterial consortia synergistically protect citrus from postharvest disease

Biological antagonists are a series of microbes that can control pathogens to reduce the incidence of disease or reduce symptoms. Herein, four varieties of citrus fruit were selected to perform an amplicon sequencing on their epiphytic microbiota to get a systematic understanding of them. Co-occurrence network, Venn, and LefSe analysis were performed to filter to 24 genera which represent the universality, specificity, and correlation among samples. Functional analysis hinted that the genes related to chitinase, which most of these 24 bacteria carry, might lead to a disease-suppressive phenotype. 115 strains of epiphytic bacteria were isolated, and the bacterial synthetic community was constructed by 8 strains. The in vivo test results indicated they were able to reduce pathogen development for a longer time than separate inoculation. Collectively, this study showed the disease control potential provided by native epiphytic bacteria of fruit and give a new strategy to sustainable agriculture.

Automated summary

This study performed amplicon sequencing on epiphytic microbiota of four varieties of citrus fruit, and identified a series of microbes with the ability to control pathogens. Functional analysis suggested that genes related to chitinase carried by these microbes might be responsible for their disease-suppressive phenotype. In vivo test results showed that these microbes were able to reduce pathogen development for a longer time compared to separate inoculation, indicating their potential for disease control.