Escape from bacterial diversity: potential enemy release in invading yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) microbiomes
O_LIInvasive species could benefit from introduction to locations with favorable species interactions. Microbiomes are an important source of interactions that vary across regions. We examine whether bacterial communities could explain more favorable microbial interactions in highly invasive populations of yellow starthistle.\nC_LIO_LIWe sequenced amplicons of prokaryotic 16S rRNA genes to characterize bacterial community composition in the phyllosphere, ectorhizosphere, and endorhizosphere of plants from seven invading populations in California, USA and eight native populations in Europe. We tested for differentiation of microbiomes by geography, plant compartment, and plant genotype.\nC_LIO_LIBacterial communities differed significantly between native and invaded ranges within plant compartments, with consistently lower diversity in plants from the invaded range. Genera containing known plant pathogens also showed lower diversity in invaded range plants. The diversity of bacteria in roots was positively correlated with plant genotype diversity within both ranges, but this relationship did not explain microbial differences between ranges.\nC_LIO_LIOur findings reveal changes in the composition and diversity of bacterial interactions in invading plants, consistent with observations of altered soil interactions in this invasion. These results call for further study of the sources of variation in microbiomes and the potential for bacteria to facilitate invasion success.\nC_LI