Seed mycobiome assembly varies across mother trees with contrasting levels of resistance to Dutch elm disease

Seed-associated fungal communities in Ulmus minor differ by Dutch elm disease resistance level, with susceptible genotypes supporting richer communities and resistant genotypes forming more distinct, less diverse assemblages.

• Why it matters: Seed mycobiomes could shape early plant performance, but how they relate to long-lived tree disease resistance like DED is unclear.
• What they did: Samaras from nine U. minor genotypes spanning resistant, intermediate, and susceptible groups were profiled by high-throughput ITS1 sequencing, yielding 522 fungal ASVs and 74 core members.
• The result: Diversity, composition, and community organization varied by resistance group; 21 genera were linked to resistance level, including Protofenestella enriched in resistant genotypes and Taphrina enriched in intermediate and susceptible genotypes.

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