Fig 1.
Expanded disease diamond illustrating the central role of the obligate pathobiome in shaping pathogen success.
Traditional models of plant disease focus on three primary components: the host, the pathogen, and the environment. For obligate plant pathogens, however, the microbiome—specifically the surrounding microbial community—acts as a critical fourth dimension. This “pathobiome” can influence pathogenicity in multiple ways: (1) Suppressing infection through competition, antibiosis, or hyperparasitism; (2) Facilitating infection via mechanisms such as nutrient cross-feeding or immune suppression; and (3) Interacting with host responses to modulate defence outcomes. The figure was created in BioRender. Kemen, E. (2025) https://BioRender.com/y8and0n.