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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Crop Production Systems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #313433
Title: Emerging perspectives on the natural microbiome of fresh produce vegetables

Author
item JACKSON, COLIN - University Of Mississippi
item STONE, BRAM - University Of Mississippi
item Tyler, Heather

Submitted to: Agriculture
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/31/2015
Publication Date: 4/3/2015
Citation: Jackson, C.R., Stone, B.W., Tyler, H.L. 2015. Emerging perspectives on the natural microbiome of fresh produce vegetables. Agriculture. 5:170-187.

Interpretive Summary: A diverse community of bacteria (microbiome) can be found on the leaf surface and within plant tissues. The composition of this microbiome has been largely unexplored in fresh produce vegetables, where studies have tended to focus on pathogen detection and survival. In this review, scientists from the University of Mississippi, University, MS and the USDA-ars, Crop Production Systems Research Unit, Stoneivlle, MS discuss what is known about the composition of the microbiome of fresh produce vegetables and demonstrate how next-generation DNA sequencing technology can be used to assess the bacterial community composition present on fresh produce, using fresh herbs as an example. The data shows how the use of such sequencing approaches can detect bacterial groups with special growth requirements that may be missed by traditional culture-based techniques. Other issues discussed include whether to determine the microbiome composition during plant growth or at the point of purchase or consumption, and the potential role of the natural bacterial community in mitigating pathogen survival. These discussions provide insight into the role of native bacterial communities of produce vegetables on consumer health and highlight the need for further study in this area.

Technical Abstract: Plants harbor a diverse microbiome existing as bacterial populations on the leaf surface (the phyllosphere) and within plant tissues (endophytes). The composition of this microbiome has been largely unexplored in fresh produce vegetables, where studies have tended to focus on pathogen detection and survival. However, the application of next-generation 16S rRNA gene sequencing approaches is beginning to reveal the diversity of this produce-associated bacterial community. In this article we review what is known about the composition of the microbiome of fresh produce vegetables, placing it in the context of general phyllosphere research. We also demonstrate how next-generation sequencing can be used to assess the bacterial assemblages present on fresh produce, using fresh herbs as an example. That data shows how the use of such culture-independent approaches can detect groups of taxa (anaerobes, psychrophiles) that may be missed by traditional culture-based techniques. Other issues discussed include questions as to whether to determine the microbiome during plant growth or at point of purchase or consumption, and the potential role of the natural bacterial community in mitigating pathogen survival.