Seasonal bacterial profiles of Vellozia with distinct drought adaptations in the megadiverse campos rupestres

Author(s)

Pinto, Otavio Henrique Bezerra ; Biazotti, Barbara Bort ; de Souza, Rafael Soares Correa ; Yassitepe, Juliana Erika de Carvalho Teixeira ; Arruda, Paulo ; Dante, Ricardo Augusto ; Gerhardt, Isabel Rodrigues

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: SCIENTIFIC DATA; v. 12, n. 1, p. 9-pg., 2025-04-16.

Abstract

Microbial communities can vary as a function of seasonal precipitation and the phenotypic characteristics of the prevailing plant species in an ecosystem. The Brazilian campos rupestres (CRs) host a unique flora adapted to harsh conditions, including severe droughts and nutrient-poor soils. Velloziaceae, a dominant angiosperm family in CRs, exhibit contrasting drought adaptive strategies, prominently desiccation tolerance and dehydration avoidance. Here, we created a comprehensive dataset of microbial composition and dynamics of bulk soil and distinct plant compartments (leaf blade, dry sheath, aerial root, and underground root) from two desiccation-tolerant and two dehydration-avoiding, non-desiccation-tolerant Vellozia species, across four seasons (beginning and end of rainy and dry seasons) through 16S rRNA gene sequencing of 374 samples. This dataset also includes 38 soil metagenomes encompassing dry and rainy seasons from both drought adaptive strategies. Exploring an overlooked aspect of CRs biology offers significant potential for understanding plant-microbial associations and adaptations to water availability in tropical regions. The genetic data and metadata support further research for hypothesis testing and cross-study comparisons. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/23218-0 - The Genomics for Climate Change Research Center
• Grantee: Edi Lúcia Sartorato
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research Centers in Engineering Program
• FAPESP's process: 22/08797-4 - Characterization of the phylogenetic and functional diversity of soils and Velloziaceae species associated microorganisms from rupestrian grasslands
• Grantee: Otávio Henrique Bezerra Pinto
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Technical Training Program - Technical Training
• FAPESP's process: 18/19100-9 - Designing a microbial synthetic community for improvement of drought stress tolerance in maize plants
• Grantee: Rafael Soares Correa de Souza
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral