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Plant Nutrient Resource Use Strategies Shape Active Rhizosphere Microbiota Through Root Exudation
Julien P Guyonnet1, Martin Guillemet1,2, Audrey Dubost1
1Laboratoire d'Ecologie Microbienne, UMR CNRS 5557, Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, UMR INRA 1418, Villeurbanne, France.
Frontiers in Plant Science
|December 19, 2018
Summary
Plant nutrient strategies shape soil microbes. Exploitative plants with high root exudation increase microbial activity and diversity in the rhizosphere, impacting nutrient cycling.
Area of Science:
- Plant-microbe interactions
- Rhizosphere ecology
- Soil science
Background:
- Plant nutrient uptake strategies influence plant-microbiota interactions due to competition for resources.
- Root exudation is a key factor mediating these interactions and microbial community composition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how plant nutrient resource strategies affect rhizosphere microbial activities and community composition.
- To determine the role of root exudation in shaping the active bacterial communities in the root-adhering soil (RAS) and root tissues.
Main Methods:
- Applied DNA-based stable isotope probing (DNA-SIP) to six grass species with varying nutrient strategies.
- Utilized 16S-rRNA-based metabarcoding to analyze microbial community composition involved in root exudate assimilation and soil organic matter (SOM) degradation.
- Measured microbial activities (denitrification and respiration) using gas chromatography.
Main Results:
- Exploitative plant species, characterized by high root exudation, showed increased denitrification and respiration activities in their RAS microbial communities.
- Plant nutrient resource strategies were found to significantly shape the active microbiota.
- Root exudation level and metabolite diversity likely drive the observed increases in microbial activity.
Conclusions:
- Plant nutrient use strategies play a crucial role in shaping the active rhizosphere microbiota.
- Root exudation is a primary mechanism through which plants influence microbial communities involved in nutrient cycling and SOM degradation.
- Understanding these plant-microbe dynamics is vital for soil health and nutrient management.
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