Leaf bacteriome in sugar beet show differential response against beet curly top virus during resistant and susceptible interactions

Authors: Majumdar, Raj; Strausbaugh, Carl; Vincill, Eric; Eujayl, Imad; Galewski, Paul

Submitted to: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/20/2022
Publication Date: 7/22/2022
Citation: Majumdar, R., Strausbaugh, C.A., Vincill, E.D., Eujayl, I.A., Galewski, P.J. 2022. Leaf bacteriome in sugar beet show differential response against beet curly top virus during resistant and susceptible interactions. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23158073..
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23158073

Interpretive Summary: Genetic resistance of sugar beet to the Beet curly top virus (BCTV) is limited and largely dependent upon seed treatment with synthetic insecticides in commercial cultivars. Identification of additional factors associated with host plant resistance will therefore be helpful in designing alternative strategies for future disease control. Host plant microbiome is known to play a critical role in host resistance against stresses. It is unknown how sugar beet microbiome contributes to host resistance against BCTV. In this work we demonstrate potential role of sugar beet leaf microbiome in BCTV resistance. The data presented here might help in designing novel biocontrol strategies against BCTV in an ecofriendly manner and improve sugar yield in the future.

Technical Abstract: Beet curly top virus (BCTV) is an important sugar beet yield limiting disease in semi-arid production areas. Genetic resistance to BCTV is limited; therefore, identification of additional resistance associated factors is highly desired. Using 16S rRNA sequencing and BCTV resistant (R) genotypes (KDH13, KDH4-9) along with a susceptible (S) genotype (KDH19-17), we investigated leaf bacteriome changes during BCTV post inoculation (pi). At day 6 (~6 week-old plants), Cyanobacteria were predominant (~90%), whereas at week 4 (~10 week-old plants) Firmicutes (11-66%), Bacteroidetes (17-26%), and Verrucomicrobia (12-29%) were predominant and genotype dependent. Both Bacteroidetes and Verrucomicrobia, increased post infection only in the R lines. Brevibacillus increased at 6 dpi, and Akkermansia and Bacteroides at 4 wkpi in the R lines. Linear discriminant analysis Effect Size identified potential biomarkers in the R lines vs. S line. Functional profiling revealed bacterial enrichment associated with TCA cycle, polyisoprenoid, and L-methione biosynthesis pathways only in KDH4-9 at 6 dpi. At 4 wkpi, bacteria associated with tryptophan and palmitate biosynthesis in the R lines and uridine monophosphate, phosphatidyl glycerol, and phospholipid biosynthesis in the S line, were enriched. Future characterization of bacterial genera with antiviral properties will help establish their use as biocontrol agents/biomarkers against BCTV.