Project description:Root exudates contain specialised metabolites that affect the plant’s root microbiome. How host-specific microbes cope with these bioactive compounds, and how this ability shapes root microbiomes, remains largely unknown. We investigated how maize root bacteria metabolise benzoxazinoids, the main specialised metabolites of maize. Diverse and abundant bacteria metabolised the major compound in the maize rhizosphere MBOA and formed AMPO. AMPO forming bacteria are enriched in the rhizosphere of benzoxazinoid-producing maize and can use MBOA as carbon source. We identified a novel gene cluster associated with AMPO formation in microbacteria. The first gene in this cluster, bxdA encodes a lactonase that converts MBOA to AMPO in vitro. A deletion mutant of the homologous bxdA genes in the genus Sphingobium, does not form AMPO nor is it able to use MBOA as a carbon source. BxdA was identified in different genera of maize root bacteria. Here we show that plant-specialised metabolites select for metabolisation-competent root bacteria. BxdA represents a novel benzoxazinoid metabolisation gene whose carriers successfully colonize the maize rhizosphere and thereby shape the plant’s chemical environmental footprint
Project description:Arsenic (As) bioavailability in the rice rhizosphere is influenced by many microbial interactions, particularly by metal-transforming functional groups at the root-soil interface. This study was conducted to examine As-transforming microbes and As-speciation in the rice rhizosphere compartments, in response to two different water management practices (continuous and intermittently flooded), established on fields with high to low soil-As concentration. Microbial functional gene composition in the rhizosphere and root-plaque compartments were characterized using the GeoChip 4.0 microarray. Arsenic speciation and concentrations were analyzed in the rhizosphere soil, root-plaque, porewater and grain samples. Results indicated that intermittent flooding significantly altered As-speciation in the rhizosphere, and reduced methyl-As and AsIII concentrations in the pore water, root-plaque and rice grain. Ordination and taxonomic analysis of detected gene-probes indicated that root-plaque and rhizosphere assembled significantly different metal-transforming functional groups. Taxonomic non-redundancy was evident, suggesting that As-reduction, -oxidation and -methylation processes were performed by different microbial groups. As-transformation was coupled to different biogeochemical cycling processes establishing functional non-redundancy of rice-rhizosphere microbiome in response to both rhizosphere compartmentalization and experimental treatments. This study confirmed diverse As-biotransformation at root-soil interface and provided novel insights on their responses to water management, which can be applied for mitigating As-bioavailability and accumulation in rice grains.
Project description:Forming symbiotic associations with beneficial microbes are important strategies for sessile plants to acquire nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients from the soil. Root exudates play key roles on set-up of the rhizosphere microbiome. According to the needs for nitrogen or phosphorus, plants can adjust the root exudates composition to attract proper microbes. Flavonoids are a group of secondary metabolites that are well studied in shaping the root microbiome, especially the root nodule symbiosis in legumes. Here, we show the medicago truncatula phosphate sensors SPX1 and SPX3 regulate flavonoids biosynthesis to recruit nitrogen-fixing microbes for nitrogen acquisition. Nitrogen-fixing microbes were less recruited in spx1spx3 double mutant root rhizosphere. This was caused by lower flavonoids biosynthesis related genes expression, which resulted in lower flavonoids levels in the root exudates compared to wild type plant R108. Further analysis indicates the regulation of flavonoids biosynthesis is through the SPX1 and SPX3 interaction transcription factor PHR2. We propose the SPX-PHR phosphate homeostasis regulation network also control microbe-dependent nitrogen acquisition according to phosphate levels. Thus, SPX1 and SPX3 play important roles to keep a microbe-dependent nitrogen and phosphorus absorption balance for optimal growth.
Project description:Cover cropping is an effective method to protect agricultural soils from erosion, promote nutrient and moisture retention, encourage beneficial microbial activity, and maintain soil structure. Reusing winter cover crop root channels with the maize roots during the summer allows the cash crop to extract resources from farther niches in the soil horizon. In this study, we investigate how reusing winter cover crop root channels to grow maize (Zea mays L.) affects the composition and function of the bacterial communities in the rhizosphere using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and metaproteomics. We discovered that the bacterial community significantly differed among cover crop variations, soil profile depths, and maize growth stages. Re-usage of the root channels increased bacterial abundance, and it further increases as we elevate the complexity from monocultures to mixtures. Upon mixing legumes with brassicas and grasses, the overall expression of several steps of the carbon cycle (C) and the nitrogen cycle (N) improved. The deeper root channels of legumes and brassicas compared to grasses correlated with higher bacterial 16S rRNA gene copy numbers and community roles in the respective variations in the subsoil regimes due to the increased availability of root exudates secreted by maize roots. In conclusion, root channel re-use (monocultures and mixtures) improved the expression of metabolic pathways of the important C and N cycles, and the bacterial communities, which is beneficial to the soil rhizosphere as well as to the growing crops.
Project description:<p>Biological nitrogen fixation by free-living bacteria and rhizobial symbiosis with legumes plays a key role in sustainable crop production. Here, we study how different crop combinations influence the interaction between peanut plants and their rhizosphere microbiota via metabolite deposition and functional responses of free-living and symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Based on a long-term (8 year) diversified cropping field experiment, we find that peanut co-cultured with maize and oilseed rape lead to specific changes in peanut rhizosphere metabolite profiles and bacterial functions and nodulation. Flavonoids and coumarins accumulate due to the activation of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathways in peanuts. These changes enhance the growth and nitrogen fixation activity of free-living bacterial isolates, and root nodulation by symbiotic Bradyrhizobium isolates. Peanut plant root metabolites interact with Bradyrhizobium isolates contributing to initiate nodulation. Our findings demonstrate that tailored intercropping could be used to improve soil nitrogen availability through changes in the rhizosphere microbiome and its functions.</p>
Project description:Microbial communities in the rhizosphere make significant contributions to crop health and nutrient cycling. However, their ability to perform important biogeochemical processes remains uncharacterized. Important functional genes, which characterize the rhizosphere microbial community, were identified to understand metabolic capabilities in the maize rhizosphere using GeoChip 3.0-based functional gene array method.
Project description:Phosphate (P) fertilization induces a myriad of plant rhizosphere processes, required for a better P plant use. However, extended knowledge about plant responses to polyphosphates (PolyP) is still scarce, particularly transcriptomic and functional traits of root-induced rhizosphere processes. The present study aims to investigate belowground traits related to root transcriptomic changes, rhizosphere acidification, root growth, and P acquisition of durum wheat under PolyPs (PolyB and PolyC) supply. Root molecular traits were differentially expressed in response to PolyPs types, with 2481 and 184 genes were differentially expressed (compared to OrthoP) under PolyB (445 up- and 2036 down-regulated) and PolyC (71 up- and 113 down-regulated), respectively. Specifically, PolyB significantly influenced the expression of genes encoding the key enzymes in glycolysis, citrate cycle and acid phosphatases, OGDH, MDH, and ENO, PAP21 genes were upregulated, while TPI, PFK and LDH genes were downregulated. The modulated expression of TCA cycle and PAP genes can presumably explain the induced rhizosphere acidification (pH decreased from 8 to 6.3) and acid phosphatases activity (in root, rhizosphere soil and rhizosphere soil solution) under PolyPs, which consequently increased rhizosphere soil P availability (145% compared to OrthoP). This increase in P availability was concomitant with the modulation of root morphological traits and the upregulation of the AUX1 and ABA transporters genes, indicating PolyPs regulatory role in root growth for efficient P uptake. Moreover, PolyB significantly upregulated the expression of SPX3, which is indispensable for the absorption and transport of inorganic P to both roots and shoots. This was physiologically reflected by the increased shoot (36%) and root (61%) Pi contents in response to PolyB compared to OrthoP. Taken together, our findings provide novel and consistent evidence that enhanced P acquisition from PolyPs entails coordinated regulation of the expression of genes related to root-rhizosphere processes (rhizosphere acidification and phosphatases exudation) and root morphology, which consequently induces physiological adaptive traits enabling enhanced availability, acquisition of P, and wheat growth performance.
Project description:Background: The soil environment is responsible for sustaining most terrestrial plant life on earth, yet we know surprisingly little about the important functions carried out by diverse microbial communities in soil. Soil microbes that inhabit the channels of decaying root systems, the detritusphere, are likely to be essential for plant growth and health, as these channels are the preferred locations of new root growth. Understanding the microbial metagenome of the detritusphere and how it responds to agricultural management such as crop rotations and soil tillage will be vital for improving global food production. Methods: The rhizosphere soils of wheat and chickpea growing under + and - decaying root were collected for metagenomics sequencing. A gene catalogue was established by de novo assembling metagenomic sequencing. Genes abundance was compared between bulk soil and rhizosphere soils under different treatments. Conclusions: The study describes the diversity and functional capacity of a high-quality soil microbial metagenome. The results demonstrate the contribution of the microbiome from decaying root in determining the metagenome of developing root systems, which is fundamental to plant growth, since roots preferentially inhabit previous root channels. Modifications in root microbial function through soil management, can ultimately govern plant health, productivity and food security.
Project description:We present metaproteome data from maize rhizosphere from sodic soil. Isolation of proteome from maize rhizosphere collected from Experimental Farm, ICAR-IISS, Mau, India was done with the standardized protocol at our laboratory and metaproteome analysis was done with the standardized pipepline. In total 696 proteins with different functions representing 245 genus and 395 species were identified. The proteome data provides direct evidence on the biological processes in soil ecosystem and is the first reported reference data from maize rhizosphere.