biostudies-literatureMcRose DLSimons FoundationNIAID NIH HHSHHS | NIH | National Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesAmerican Association for the Advancement of Sciencee2217951120https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC10083548biostudies-literatureUnknown120(14)Secondary metabolites are important facilitators of plant-microbe interactions in the rhizosphere, contributing to communication, competition, and nutrient acquisition. However, at first glance, the rhizosphere seems full of metabolites with overlapping functions, and we have a limited understanding of basic principles governing metabolite use. Increasing access to the essential nutrient iron is one important, but seemingly redundant role performed by both plant and microbial Redox-Active Metabolites (RAMs). We used coumarins, RAMs made by the model plant <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i>, and phenazines, RAMs made by soil-dwelling pseudomonads, to ask whether plant and microbial RAMs might each have distinct functions under different environmental conditions. We show that variations in oxygen aProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of AmericaThe chemical ecology of coumarins and phenazines affects iron acquisition by pseudomonads.PMC10083548R01 AI127850LOreal USA- AAAS For Women in Science FellowshipMarine Microbial Ecology Postdoctoral Fellowship1R01AI127850-01A1Newman DKLi JMcRose DLfalseThe chemical ecology of coumarins and phenazines affects iron acquisition by pseudomonads.Secondary metabolites are important facilitators of plant-microbe interactions in the rhizosphere, contributing to communication, competition, and nutrient acquisition. However, at first glance, the rhizosphere seems full of metabolites with overlapping functions, and we have a limited understanding of basic principles governing metabolite use. Increasing access to the essential nutrient iron is one important, but seemingly redundant role performed by both plant and microbial Redox-Active Metabolites (RAMs). We used coumarins, RAMs made by the model plant <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i>, and phenazines, RAMs made by soil-dwelling pseudomonads, to ask whether plant and microbial RAMs might each have distinct functions under different environmental conditions. We show that variations in oxygen a2023-01-01T00:00:00Z2023 Apr2025-07-12T03:06:13.584Z2025-04-06T08:45:21.731ZS-EPMC100835483699610510.1073/pnas.2217951120