Metagenomic analysis suggests that tomato root-knot nematode infestation disrupts rhizosphere microbial networks, consistent with reduced disease suppression

IntroductionThe rhizosphere microbiome serves as a critical line of defense for plant health and soil-borne disease suppression. However, the underlying mechanisms by which root-knot nematodes (RKN), a devastating soil-borne pathogen, undermine putative disease-suppressive function through destabilizing microbial interaction networks remain poorly understood.MethodsThis study employed metagenomic sequencing coupled with microbial co-occurrence network analysis to systematically compare the commu