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Soil Microbiota Modulates Root Transcriptome With Divergent Effect on Maize Growth Under Low and High Phosphorus
Chao Wang1,2, Huanhuan Tai3, Yinglong Chen4
1National Engineering Research Center for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer Resources, College of Resources and Environment, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong Province, China.
Plant, Cell & Environment
|November 18, 2024
Summary
Soil microbes influence plant growth, impacting phosphate starvation-responsive genes and defense mechanisms. Their effect on maize growth depends on soil phosphate levels and microbial interactions.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biology
- Microbiology
- Soil Science
Background:
- Microbial communities in soil significantly impact plant health and development.
- While single-species interactions are understood, host responses to complex soil microbiota remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate maize growth and transcriptional responses to soil microbiota under varying phosphate conditions.
- To elucidate the role of soil microbiota in plant adaptation to nutrient availability.
Main Methods:
- Maize was grown in natural and sterile soils from a long-term experimental site with differing phosphate regimes.
- Root-associated microbial communities were analyzed.
- Maize biomass, ionomes, and root transcriptomes were profiled.
Main Results:
- Soil microbiota modulated phosphate starvation-responsive (PSR) genes and induced defense responses, irrespective of external phosphate.
- Microbiota with high phosphate fertilizer reduced PSR and defense responses, inhibiting maize growth.
- Under low phosphate, microbiota enhanced PSR and defense responses, promoting growth and phosphate absorption.
Conclusions:
- Soil microbiota exert a phosphate-dependent influence on maize growth by modulating PSR and defense pathways.
- This study refines our understanding of plant-microbe interactions in root ecosystems.
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