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The plant circadian clock influences rhizosphere community structure and function
Charley J Hubbard1,2, Marcus T Brock1, Linda Ta van Diepen2,3
1Department of Botany, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA.
The ISME Journal
|October 21, 2017
Summary
The plant circadian clock shapes soil microbial communities. Disrupting this clock alters microbial structure and negatively impacts plant growth, highlighting the clock's role in plant-microbe interactions.
Area of Science:
- Plant biology
- Microbial ecology
- Genetics
Background:
- Plants significantly influence soil properties and the structure of rhizosphere microbial communities.
- The genetic basis by which plants shape these communities, and the resulting feedback on plant performance, are not well understood.
- The plant circadian clock regulates numerous physiological processes, but its role in mediating plant-microbe interactions is largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of the plant circadian clock on rhizosphere microbial community structure and function.
- To determine if genetic mutations affecting the circadian clock alter the composition of rhizosphere bacteria.
- To assess the impact of plant genotype-selected microbial communities on plant performance.
Main Methods:
- 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing was used to analyze rhizosphere bacterial communities of Arabidopsis thaliana at different times of day.
- Rhizosphere communities were compared between wild-type and circadian clock mutant (toc1-21, ztl-30) Arabidopsis genotypes.
- Plant performance (germination time, size) was measured in wild-type plants grown in soils conditioned by different Arabidopsis genotypes.
Main Results:
- Rhizosphere microbial community structure exhibited daily variations and was significantly altered in circadian clock mutants.
- Wild-type Arabidopsis plants grown in soils previously occupied by wild-type plants showed enhanced germination and larger size compared to those grown in soils from clock mutant plants.
- These findings indicate a genotype-specific effect of the plant host on microbial communities and subsequent plant performance.
Conclusions:
- The plant circadian clock plays a crucial role in shaping the structure and function of rhizosphere microbial communities.
- Disruptions in the circadian clock lead to altered microbial communities and negatively affect plant performance.
- This study reveals a novel link between plant internal timekeeping and the soil microbiome, with implications for plant health and productivity.
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