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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 22, 2026

A Hydroponic Co-cultivation System for Simultaneous and Systematic Analysis of Plant/Microbe Molecular Interactions and Signaling

A Hydroponic Co-cultivation System for Simultaneous and Systematic Analysis of Plant/Microbe Molecular Interactions and Signaling

Published on: July 22, 2017

A microorganisms' journey between plant generations.

Nathan Vannier¹, Cendrine Mony², Anne-Kristel Bittebiere³

¹Université de Rennes 1, CNRS, UMR 6553 EcoBio, campus Beaulieu, Avenue du Général Leclerc, 35042, Rennes Cedex, France. nathan.vannier35@gmail.com.

|April 27, 2018

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Clonal plants transmit symbiotic bacteria and fungi to offspring through root connections, establishing a heritable microbial community. This process facilitates microbial dispersal across generations and ecosystems.

Keywords:

16S/18SrRNA Clonal plants Microbiota Microorganisms dispersal Vertical transmission

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Microscopy Techniques for Interpreting Fungal Colonization in Mycoheterotrophic Plants Tissues and Symbiotic Germination of Seeds

Microscopy Techniques for Interpreting Fungal Colonization in Mycoheterotrophic Plants Tissues and Symbiotic Germination of Seeds

Published on: May 17, 2022

Area of Science:

Ecology
Microbiology
Plant Science

Background:

Plants host diverse microbial communities (microbiota) that enhance plant fitness and buffer environmental changes.
Microbiota transmission to offspring is crucial for maintaining beneficial symbionts, with seed transmission being the primary known route.
The transmission of symbiotic microbes in clonal plant networks remains largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the transmission of symbiotic microorganisms from mother plants to their clonal progeny.
To characterize the bacterial, archaeal, and fungal communities in the root microbiota of mother and offspring plants.
To understand the ecological implications of microbiota transmission in clonal plant networks.

Main Methods:

Utilized the clonal plant Glechoma hederacea as a model system.
Employed amplicon sequencing of 16S and 18S rRNA genes to profile bacterial/archaeal and fungal communities.
Controlled experimental conditions to isolate and analyze microbial transmission to newly rooted clonal offspring.

Main Results:

Demonstrated significant vertical transmission of symbiotic bacteria and fungi from mother to daughter plants.
Observed that archaea were not transmitted, and transmitted microbial communities exhibited lower richness, indicating filtration.
Identified a consistent, heritable microbial community transmitted among daughter plants, irrespective of their proximity to the mother plant.

Conclusions:

Microorganisms are transmitted between clonal plant individuals via physical connections, ensuring microbial availability for new plants and dispersal for microbes.
This previously undocumented transmission process facilitates microbial dispersal across space and plant generations.
This mechanism is likely a significant driver of ecosystem functioning and community assembly in diverse ecosystems, given the prevalence of clonal plants.