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Updated: Jun 5, 2025

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

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Published on: July 22, 2017

Plant-microbe interactions in tropical and subtropical ecosystems.

Meghna Krishnadas¹, Gaurav Kandlikar², Adriana Corrales³

¹National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bellary Road, Bengaluru, 560065, Karnataka, India.

American Journal of Botany

|December 11, 2024

Summary

Microbes significantly impact plant communities, but research is concentrated in limited regions. This collection highlights plant-microbe interactions in tropical and subtropical ecosystems, addressing geographical gaps in ecological studies.

Keywords:

biotic interactions epiphytes plant–microbe subtropical tropical

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Microbiology
Plant Science

Background:

Plant performance, fitness, and ecosystem functioning are influenced by microbial communities.
Studies on plant-microbe interactions are geographically biased, with underrepresentation of tropical and subtropical ecosystems.
This limits generalizable understanding of microbial roles in plant community dynamics and responses to global change.

Discussion:

This special section addresses the geographical gap by presenting research on plant-microbe interactions in tropical and subtropical regions.
It explores variations in soil microbial communities, context-dependent microbial assembly on plants, and the epiphytic plant microbiome.
The compilation aims to stimulate further research in these megadiverse ecosystems.

Key Insights:

Microbial communities play a crucial role in plant community dynamics across various scales.
Tropical and subtropical ecosystems are vital but understudied areas for plant-microbe interactions.
Understanding these interactions is key to predicting ecosystem responses to environmental change.

Outlook:

Future research should focus on expanding studies of plant-microbe interactions into underrepresented tropical and subtropical regions.
Investigating the microbiome of epiphytic plants offers a new frontier for understanding plant-microbe symbiosis.
Integrating diverse research from these ecosystems will enhance our comprehension of microbial influences on plant communities globally.