It is known that different plant species select specific microbes to live inside their tissues in a process determined by the host genotype, phenotype and geographic location, which can introduce discussion on plant endemism and the assembly of specific microbial communities. Herein, we report the results of an investigation relating the geographic distribution of plant species and the composition of microbial communities associated with plant hosts. The bacterial and fungal community associated with Anthurium plant leaves was mapped to assess the diversity and ecology of the endophytic community associated with Anthurium spp. collected on islands and on the Brazilian mainland. Twenty-six Anthurium specimens were surveyed, distributed throughout the São Paulo state coastline, including Alcatrazes Island, some coastal islands and distinct mainland environments. Bacterial and fungal endophytes were obtained from the leaves of A. alcatrazense, A. loefgrenii, A. penthaphyllum, A. urvellianum and A. intermedium and subjected to massive bacterial 16S rRNA and fungal ITS sequencing. The results indicated that A. alcatrazense, endemic to Alcatrazes Island, hosted a specific bacterial community structure, while its fungal community was similar to that of Anthurium species from other locations. Betaproteobacteria showed a high differential occurrence in A. alcatrazense. Some groups of fungi were found mainly inhabiting A. loefgrenii plants. While Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Sordariomycetes, Dothiodeomycetes and Tremellomycetes composed the core microbial community among Anthurium plants. The results suggest crucial role for the bacterial communities to endemic plants, while endophytic fungal diversity is less specifically distributed among endemic and nonendemic plant species.
Keywords: Alcatrazes Island; Endophytic microbiome; Host specificity; Plant-microbe association; Sequencing.
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