Exploring sagebrush leaf microbial metagenomes from deep, host-derived sequencing

), the foundation species of the sagebrush steppe, has broad ecological importance because its evergreen leaves offer nutrients and shade that facilitate the establishment of diverse understory plants in arid environments. Sagebrush leaves contain various secondary metabolites, including terpenoids, flavonoids, and phenolic compounds. These chemicals contribute to the plant's defense mechanisms against herbivores and pathogens. Despite this, sagebrush hosts diverse bacterial and fungal communities. We found that the microbial metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) we recovered contained genes that have the potential to degrade some of the chemical compounds in sagebrush leaves that could inhibit the growth of other microbes. This is the first study to mine plant genome data using host-derived sequences to generate microbial MAGs. Our results showed that MAGs can be recovered from plant host-derived sequence data, providing a new way to explore the identity and functional capabilities of difficult-to-culture microbes.