Hybrid xyloglucan utilisation loci are prevalent among plant-associated Bacteroidota

The plant hemicellulose xyloglucan (XyG) is secreted from the roots of numerous plant species, including cereals, and contributes towards soil aggregate formation in terrestrial systems. Whether XyG represents a key nutrient for plant-associated bacteria is unclear. The phylum Bacteroidota are abundant in the plant microbiome and provide several beneficial functions for their host. However, the metabolic and genomic traits underpinning their success remain poorly understood. Here, using proteomics, bacterial genetics, and genomics, we revealed that plant-associated Flavobacterium , a genus within the Bacteroidota, can efficiently utilise XyG through the occurrence of a distinct and conserved gene cluster, referred to as the Xyloglucan Utilisation Loci (XyGUL). Flavobacterium XyGUL is a hybrid of the molecular machinery found in gut Bacteroides spp., Cellvibrio japonicus , and the plant pathogen Xanthomonas . Combining protein biochemistry, computational modelling and phylogenetics, we identified a mutation in the enzyme required for initiating hydrolysis of the XyG polysaccharide, an outer membrane endoxyloglucanase glycoside hydrolase family 5 subfamily 4 (GH5_4), which enhances activity towards XyG. A subclade of GH5_4 homologs carrying this mutation were the dominant form found in soil and plant metagenomes due to their occurrence in Bacteroidota and Proteobacteria. However, only in members of the Bacteroidota spp., particularly Flavobacterium spp. was such a remarkable degree of XyGUL conservation detected. We propose this mechanism enables plant-associated Flavobacterium to specialise in competitive acquisition of XyG exudates and that this hemicellulose may represent an important nutrient source, enabling them to thrive in the plant microbiome, which is typified by intense competition for low molecular weight carbon exudates.