Beneficial and pathogenic plant-microbe interactions during flooding stress

Area of Science:

• Plant Science
• Microbiology
• Ecology

Background:

• Increasing flood events pose a significant threat to terrestrial plants, causing flooding stress.
• Reduced oxygen availability (hypoxia) under flooded conditions impairs plant root function, growth, and nutrient uptake.
• Hypoxia alters the rhizosphere and root microbiome, potentially promoting pathogenic or denitrifying anaerobic microbes and causing dysbiosis in the holobiont.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of flooding stress on terrestrial plants and their associated microbial communities.
• To understand the physiological and metabolic responses of plants and microbes to hypoxic conditions.
• To explore strategies for mitigating flooding stress through plant adaptive responses and beneficial microbes.

Main Methods:

• The study reviews existing research on plant physiological responses to flooding.
• It examines the impact of hypoxia on root function, hydraulic conductance, and nutrient uptake.
• It analyzes changes in rhizosphere and endosphere microbial composition under flooding stress.

Main Results:

• Flooding stress, primarily through hypoxia, negatively affects plant respiration, nutrient uptake, and overall growth.
• Hypoxic conditions promote anaerobic microbes, potentially leading to pathogenic interactions or soil denitrification.
• Plant and microbial metabolic shifts during flooding can induce dysbiosis in the holobiont.

Conclusions:

• The holobiont perspective, considering both plant and microbial responses, is essential for understanding and enhancing plant flood tolerance.
• Plant adaptive strategies for increased oxygen uptake and the beneficial roles of microbes like mycorrhizae can mitigate flooding stress.
• Further research into the feedback mechanisms between plants and microbes under flood stress is needed to develop effective management strategies.