Characterisation of Soil Bacterial Communities That Exhibit Chemotaxis to Root Exudates from Phosphorus-Limited Plants

The ability to sense and direct movement along chemical gradients is known as ‘chemotaxis’ and is a common trait among rhizosphere microorganisms, which are attracted to organic compounds released from plant roots. In response to stress, the compounds released from roots can change and may recruit s...

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Main Authors: Katherine V. Weigh, Bruna D. Batista, Huong Hoang, Paul G. Dennis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-12-01
Series:Microorganisms
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/11/12/2984
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author Katherine V. Weigh
Bruna D. Batista
Huong Hoang
Paul G. Dennis
author_facet Katherine V. Weigh
Bruna D. Batista
Huong Hoang
Paul G. Dennis
author_sort Katherine V. Weigh
collection DOAJ
description The ability to sense and direct movement along chemical gradients is known as ‘chemotaxis’ and is a common trait among rhizosphere microorganisms, which are attracted to organic compounds released from plant roots. In response to stress, the compounds released from roots can change and may recruit symbionts that enhance host stress tolerance. Decoding this language of attraction could support the development of microbiome management strategies that would enhance agricultural production and sustainability. In this study, we employ a culture-independent bait-trap chemotaxis assay to capture microbial communities attracted to root exudates from phosphorus (P)-sufficient and P-deficient <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> Col-0 plants. The captured populations were then enumerated and characterised using flow cytometry and phylogenetic marker gene sequencing, respectively. Exudates attracted significantly more cells than the control but did not differ between P treatments. Relative to exudates from P-sufficient plants, those collected from P-deficient plants attracted a significantly less diverse bacterial community that was dominated by members of the <i>Paenibacillus</i>, which is a genus known to include powerful phosphate solubilisers and plant growth promoters. These results suggest that in response to P deficiency, Arabidopsis exudates attract organisms that could help to alleviate nutrient stress.
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spelling doaj.art-d9274af601a1413db01e766f007e43de2023-12-22T14:26:18ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072023-12-011112298410.3390/microorganisms11122984Characterisation of Soil Bacterial Communities That Exhibit Chemotaxis to Root Exudates from Phosphorus-Limited PlantsKatherine V. Weigh0Bruna D. Batista1Huong Hoang2Paul G. Dennis3School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, AustraliaSchool of the Environment, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, AustraliaSchool of the Environment, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, AustraliaSchool of the Environment, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, AustraliaThe ability to sense and direct movement along chemical gradients is known as ‘chemotaxis’ and is a common trait among rhizosphere microorganisms, which are attracted to organic compounds released from plant roots. In response to stress, the compounds released from roots can change and may recruit symbionts that enhance host stress tolerance. Decoding this language of attraction could support the development of microbiome management strategies that would enhance agricultural production and sustainability. In this study, we employ a culture-independent bait-trap chemotaxis assay to capture microbial communities attracted to root exudates from phosphorus (P)-sufficient and P-deficient <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> Col-0 plants. The captured populations were then enumerated and characterised using flow cytometry and phylogenetic marker gene sequencing, respectively. Exudates attracted significantly more cells than the control but did not differ between P treatments. Relative to exudates from P-sufficient plants, those collected from P-deficient plants attracted a significantly less diverse bacterial community that was dominated by members of the <i>Paenibacillus</i>, which is a genus known to include powerful phosphate solubilisers and plant growth promoters. These results suggest that in response to P deficiency, Arabidopsis exudates attract organisms that could help to alleviate nutrient stress.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/11/12/2984rhizodepositioncommunicationmicrobiomeecosystem servicesrhizosphere
spellingShingle Katherine V. Weigh
Bruna D. Batista
Huong Hoang
Paul G. Dennis
Characterisation of Soil Bacterial Communities That Exhibit Chemotaxis to Root Exudates from Phosphorus-Limited Plants
Microorganisms
rhizodeposition
communication
microbiome
ecosystem services
rhizosphere
title Characterisation of Soil Bacterial Communities That Exhibit Chemotaxis to Root Exudates from Phosphorus-Limited Plants
title_full Characterisation of Soil Bacterial Communities That Exhibit Chemotaxis to Root Exudates from Phosphorus-Limited Plants
title_fullStr Characterisation of Soil Bacterial Communities That Exhibit Chemotaxis to Root Exudates from Phosphorus-Limited Plants
title_full_unstemmed Characterisation of Soil Bacterial Communities That Exhibit Chemotaxis to Root Exudates from Phosphorus-Limited Plants
title_short Characterisation of Soil Bacterial Communities That Exhibit Chemotaxis to Root Exudates from Phosphorus-Limited Plants
title_sort characterisation of soil bacterial communities that exhibit chemotaxis to root exudates from phosphorus limited plants
topic rhizodeposition
communication
microbiome
ecosystem services
rhizosphere
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/11/12/2984
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