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Interactions between Plants and Soil Microorganisms
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Interactions between Plants and Soil Microorganisms

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant–Soil Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 August 2023) | Viewed by 13662

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Michael F. Dunn

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centro de Ciencias Genómicas-Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad s/n, Col. Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos CP 62210, Mexico
Interests: rhizobia–legume symbiosis; plant–pathogen interactions; polyamines; regulation of exopolysaccharide production; arginine biosynthesis; c-di-GMP signaling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Juan Francisco Jimenez-Bremont

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Molecular Biology Division, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (IPICYT), San Luis Potosi CP 78216, Mexico
Interests: plant-microbe interactions; polyamines; functional characterization of genes involved in the response to abiotic stress; glycine rich proteins; dehydrins
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are accepting submissions for an upcoming Plants Special Issue entitled "Interactions between Plants and Soil Microorganisms". In this Special Issue, we will explore pathogenic and mutualistic interactions (both associative and intracellular) between plants and prokaryotes, fungi, or viruses. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, plant–microbe chemical signaling, gene expression in plant–microbe interactions, hormonal control of interactions, microbial virulence and symbiosis factors, plant immune responses, and microbial as well as plant stress responses.

Dr. Michael F. Dunn
Dr. Juan Francisco Jimenez Bremont
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • plant–microbe interactions
  • endosymbiosis
  • chemical signaling
  • phytopathogenesis

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

16 pages, 3234 KiB  
Article
Expression of EPL1 from Trichoderma atroviride in Arabidopsis Confers Resistance to Bacterial and Fungal Pathogens
by Mónica Montserrat Rojas Moreno, Enrique González-Pérez, Aida Araceli Rodríguez-Hernandez, María Azucena Ortega-Amaro, Alicia Becerra-Flora, Mario Serrano and Juan Francisco Jiménez-Bremont
Plants 2023, 12(13), 2443; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12132443 - 25 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1277
Abstract
During plant interaction with beneficial microorganisms, fungi secrete a battery of elicitors that trigger plant defenses against pathogenic microorganisms. Among the elicitor molecules secreted by Trichoderma are cerato-platanin proteins, such as EPL1, from Trichoderma atroviride. In this study, Arabidopsis thaliana plants that [...] Read more.
During plant interaction with beneficial microorganisms, fungi secrete a battery of elicitors that trigger plant defenses against pathogenic microorganisms. Among the elicitor molecules secreted by Trichoderma are cerato-platanin proteins, such as EPL1, from Trichoderma atroviride. In this study, Arabidopsis thaliana plants that express the TaEPL1 gene were challenged with phytopathogens to evaluate whether expression of EPL1 confers increased resistance to the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae and the necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea. Infection assays showed that Arabidopsis EPL1-2, EPL1-3, EPL1-4 expressing lines were more resistant to both pathogens in comparison to WT plants. After Pseudomonas syringae infection, there were reduced disease symptoms (e.g., small chlorotic spots) and low bacterial titers in the three 35S::TaEPL1 expression lines. Similarly; 35S::TaEPL1 expression lines were more resistant to Botrytis cinerea infection, showing smaller lesion size in comparison to WT. Interestingly, an increase in ROS levels was detected in 35S::TaEPL1 expression lines when compared to WT. A higher expression of SA- and JA-response genes occurred in the 35S::TaEPL1 lines, which could explain the resistance of these EPL1 expression lines to both pathogens. We propose that EPL1 is an excellent elicitor, which can be used to generate crops with improved resistance to broad-spectrum diseases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interactions between Plants and Soil Microorganisms)
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14 pages, 3137 KiB  
Article
Reduction in the Use of Some Herbicides Favors Nitrogen Fixation Efficiency in Phaseolus vulgaris and Medicago sativa
by Mario Paniagua-López, César Jiménez-Pelayo, Germán Orlando Gómez-Fernández, José Antonio Herrera-Cervera and Miguel López-Gómez
Plants 2023, 12(8), 1608; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12081608 - 10 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1395
Abstract
In recent decades, the quality of agricultural soils has been seriously affected by the excessive application of pesticides, with herbicides being one of the most abundant. Continuous use of herbicides alters the soil microbial community and beneficial interactions between plants and bacteria such [...] Read more.
In recent decades, the quality of agricultural soils has been seriously affected by the excessive application of pesticides, with herbicides being one of the most abundant. Continuous use of herbicides alters the soil microbial community and beneficial interactions between plants and bacteria such as legume-rhizobia spp. symbiosis, causing a decrease in the biological nitrogen fixation, which is essential for soil fertility. Therefore, the aim of this work was to study the effect of two commonly used herbicides (pendimethalin and clethodim) on the legume-rhizobia spp. symbiosis to improve the effectiveness of this process. Phaseolus vulgaris plants grown in pots with a mixture of soil:perlite (3:1 v/v), showed a 44% inhibition of nitrogen fixation rate with pendimethalin. However, clethodim, specifically used against monocots, did not induce significant differences. Additionally, we analyzed the effect of herbicides on root exudate composition, detecting alterations that might be interfering with the symbiosis establishment. In order to assess the effect of the herbicides at the early nodulation steps, nodulation kinetics in Medicago sativa plants inoculated with Sinorhizobium meliloti were performed. Clethodim caused a 30% reduction in nodulation while pendimethalin totally inhibited nodulation, producing a reduction in bacterial growth and motility as well. In conclusion, pendimethalin and clethodim application reduced the capacity of Phaseolus vulgaris and Medicago sativa to fix nitrogen by inhibiting root growth and modifying root exudate composition as well as bacterial fitness. Thus, a reduction in the use of these herbicides in these crops should be addressed to favor a state of natural fertilization of the soil through greater efficiency of leguminous crops. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interactions between Plants and Soil Microorganisms)
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10 pages, 2506 KiB  
Communication
Studies on the Composition and Diversity of Seagrass Ruppia sinensis Rhizosphere Mmicroorganisms in the Yellow River Delta
by Shuai Shang, Liangyu Li, Hui Xiao, Jun Chen, Yu Zang, Jun Wang and Xuexi Tang
Plants 2023, 12(7), 1435; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12071435 - 24 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1110
Abstract
Seagrass is a significant primary producer of coastal ecosystems; however, the continued degradation of seagrass beds is a serious problem that has attracted widespread attention from researchers. Rhizosphere microorganisms affect seagrass and participate in many life activities of seagrass. This study explored the [...] Read more.
Seagrass is a significant primary producer of coastal ecosystems; however, the continued degradation of seagrass beds is a serious problem that has attracted widespread attention from researchers. Rhizosphere microorganisms affect seagrass and participate in many life activities of seagrass. This study explored the relationship between the composition of microbes in the rhizosphere and the surrounding environment of Ruppia sinensis by using High-throughput sequencing methods. The dominant bacterial groups in the rhizosphere surface sediments of R. sinensis and the surrounding environment are Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota, and Firmicutes. Moreover, the dominant fungal groups are Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Chytridiomycota. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were identified in microbial communities among different groups (rhizosphere, bulk sediment, and surrounding seawater). Seventy-four ASVs (For bacteria) and 48 ASVs (For fungal) were shared among seagrass rhizosphere, surrounding sediment, and seawater. The rhizosphere was enriched in sulfate-reducing bacteria and nitrogen-fixing bacteria. In general, we obtained the rhizosphere microbial community of R. sinensis, which provided extensive evidence of the relative contribution of the seagrass rhizosphere and the surrounding environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interactions between Plants and Soil Microorganisms)
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17 pages, 6752 KiB  
Article
Identification and Characterization of Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) Non-Nodulating Mutants Altered in Rhizobial Infection
by Rocío Reyero-Saavedra, Sara Isabel Fuentes, Alfonso Leija, Gladys Jiménez-Nopala, Pablo Peláez, Mario Ramírez, Lourdes Girard, Timothy G. Porch and Georgina Hernández
Plants 2023, 12(6), 1310; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12061310 - 14 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1611
Abstract
The symbiotic N2-fixation process in the legume–rhizobia interaction is relevant for sustainable agriculture. The characterization of symbiotic mutants, mainly in model legumes, has been instrumental for the discovery of symbiotic genes, but similar studies in crop legumes are scant. To isolate [...] Read more.
The symbiotic N2-fixation process in the legume–rhizobia interaction is relevant for sustainable agriculture. The characterization of symbiotic mutants, mainly in model legumes, has been instrumental for the discovery of symbiotic genes, but similar studies in crop legumes are scant. To isolate and characterize common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) symbiotic mutants, an ethyl methanesulphonate-induced mutant population from the BAT 93 genotype was analyzed. Our initial screening of Rhizobium etli CE3-inoculated mutant plants revealed different alterations in nodulation. We proceeded with the characterization of three non-nodulating (nnod), apparently monogenic/recessive mutants: nnod(1895), nnod(2353) and nnod(2114). Their reduced growth in a symbiotic condition was restored when the nitrate was added. A similar nnod phenotype was observed upon inoculation with other efficient rhizobia species. A microscopic analysis revealed a different impairment for each mutant in an early symbiotic step. nnod(1895) formed decreased root hair curling but had increased non-effective root hair deformation and no rhizobia infection. nnod(2353) produced normal root hair curling and rhizobia entrapment to form infection chambers, but the development of the latter was blocked. nnod(2114) formed infection threads that did not elongate and thus did not reach the root cortex level; it occasionally formed non-infected pseudo-nodules. The current research is aimed at mapping the responsible mutated gene for a better understanding of SNF in this critical food crop. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interactions between Plants and Soil Microorganisms)
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23 pages, 2538 KiB  
Article
Effects of Co-Inoculating Saccharomyces spp. with Bradyrhizobium japonicum on Atmospheric Nitrogen Fixation in Soybeans (Glycine max (L.))
by Obey Kudakwashe Zveushe, Victor Resco de Dios, Hengxing Zhang, Fang Zeng, Siqin Liu, Songrong Shen, Qianlin Kang, Yazhen Zhang, Miao Huang, Ahmed Sarfaraz, Matina Prajapati, Lei Zhou, Wei Zhang, Ying Han and Faqin Dong
Plants 2023, 12(3), 681; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12030681 - 03 Feb 2023
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2547
Abstract
Crop production encounters challenges due to the dearth of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), while excessive chemical fertilizer use causes environmental hazards. The use of N-fixing microbes and P-solubilizing microbes (PSMs) can be a sustainable strategy to overcome these problems. Here, we conducted [...] Read more.
Crop production encounters challenges due to the dearth of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), while excessive chemical fertilizer use causes environmental hazards. The use of N-fixing microbes and P-solubilizing microbes (PSMs) can be a sustainable strategy to overcome these problems. Here, we conducted a greenhouse pot experiment following a completely randomized blocked design to elucidate the influence of co-inoculating N-fixing bacteria (Bradyrhizobium japonicum) and PSMs (Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces exiguus) on atmospheric N2-fixation, growth, and yield. The results indicate a significant influence of interaction on Indole-3-acetic acid production, P solubilization, seedling germination, and growth. It was also found that atmospheric N2-fixation, nodule number per plant, nodule dry weight, straw, and root dry weight per plant at different growth stages were significantly increased under dual inoculation treatments relative to single inoculation or no inoculation treatment. Increased seed yield and N and P accumulation were also noticed under co-inoculation treatments. Soil available N was highest under sole bacterial inoculation and lowest under the control treatment, while soil available P was highest under co-inoculation treatments and lowest under the control treatment. We demonstrated that the co-inoculation of N-fixing bacteria and PSMs enhances P bioavailability and atmospheric N2-fixation in soybeans leading to improved soil fertility, raising crop yields, and promoting sustainable agriculture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interactions between Plants and Soil Microorganisms)
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Review

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29 pages, 1378 KiB  
Review
The Biosynthesis and Functions of Polyamines in the Interaction of Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria with Plants
by Michael F. Dunn and Víctor A. Becerra-Rivera
Plants 2023, 12(14), 2671; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12142671 - 17 Jul 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1552
Abstract
Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are members of the plant rhizomicrobiome that enhance plant growth and stress resistance by increasing nutrient availability to the plant, producing phytohormones or other secondary metabolites, stimulating plant defense responses against abiotic stresses and pathogens, or fixing nitrogen. The [...] Read more.
Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are members of the plant rhizomicrobiome that enhance plant growth and stress resistance by increasing nutrient availability to the plant, producing phytohormones or other secondary metabolites, stimulating plant defense responses against abiotic stresses and pathogens, or fixing nitrogen. The use of PGPR to increase crop yield with minimal environmental impact is a sustainable and readily applicable replacement for a portion of chemical fertilizer and pesticides required for the growth of high-yielding varieties. Increased plant health and productivity have long been gained by applying PGPR as commercial inoculants to crops, although with uneven results. The establishment of plant–PGPR relationships requires the exchange of chemical signals and nutrients between the partners, and polyamines (PAs) are an important class of compounds that act as physiological effectors and signal molecules in plant–microbe interactions. In this review, we focus on the role of PAs in interactions between PGPR and plants. We describe the basic ecology of PGPR and the production and function of PAs in them and the plants with which they interact. We examine the metabolism and the roles of PAs in PGPR and plants individually and during their interaction with one another. Lastly, we describe some directions for future research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interactions between Plants and Soil Microorganisms)
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35 pages, 835 KiB  
Review
Contribution of Biofertilizers to Pulse Crops: From Single-Strain Inoculants to New Technologies Based on Microbiomes Strategies
by Gustavo Ribeiro Xavier, Ederson da Conceição Jesus, Anelise Dias, Marcia Reed Rodrigues Coelho, Yulimar Castro Molina and Norma Gouvêa Rumjanek
Plants 2023, 12(4), 954; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12040954 - 20 Feb 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3313
Abstract
Pulses provide distinct health benefits due to their low fat content and high protein and fiber contents. Their grain production reaches approximately 93,210 × 103 tons per year. Pulses benefit from the symbiosis with atmospheric N2-fixing bacteria, which increases productivity [...] Read more.
Pulses provide distinct health benefits due to their low fat content and high protein and fiber contents. Their grain production reaches approximately 93,210 × 103 tons per year. Pulses benefit from the symbiosis with atmospheric N2-fixing bacteria, which increases productivity and reduces the need for N fertilizers, thus contributing to mitigation of environmental impact mitigation. Additionally, the root region harbors a rich microbial community with multiple traits related to plant growth promotion, such as nutrient increase and tolerance enhancement to abiotic or biotic stresses. We reviewed the eight most common pulses accounting for almost 90% of world production: common beans, chickpeas, peas, cowpeas, mung beans, lentils, broad beans, and pigeon peas. We focused on updated information considering both single-rhizobial inoculation and co-inoculation with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria. We found approximately 80 microbial taxa with PGPR traits, mainly Bacillus sp., B. subtilis, Pseudomonas sp., P. fluorescens, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and that contributed to improve plant growth and yield under different conditions. In addition, new data on root, nodule, rhizosphere, and seed microbiomes point to strategies that can be used to design new generations of biofertilizers, highlighting the importance of microorganisms for productive pulse systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interactions between Plants and Soil Microorganisms)
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