Phyllosphere Microbiome

The aboveground parts of terrestrial plants are colonized by a variety of microbes that collectively constitute the phyllosphere microbiota. Decades of pioneering work using individual phyllosphere microbes, including commensals and pathogens, have provided foundational knowledge about how individual microbes adapt to the phyllosphere environment and their role in providing biological control against pathogens. Recent studies have revealed a more complete repertoire of phyllosphere microbiota across plant taxa and how plants respond to and regulate the level and composition of phyllosphere microbiota. Importantly, the development of several gnotobiotic systems is allowing causative and mechanistic studies to…