scholarly journals Soil protists can actively redistribute beneficial bacteria along Medicago truncatula roots

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Hawxhurst ◽  
Jamie L Micciulla ◽  
Charles M Bridges ◽  
Leslie M Shor ◽  
Daniel J. Gage

The rhizosphere is the region of soil directly influenced by plant roots. The microbial community in the rhizosphere includes fungi, protists, and bacteria, all of which play a significant role in plant health. The beneficial bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti infects growing root hairs on nitrogen starved leguminous plants. Infection leads to the formation of a root nodule, where S. meliloti converts atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia, the usable form of nitrogen for plants. However, S. meliloti, often found in biofilms, travels slowly; whereas infectible root hairs are found at the growing root tip, potentially causing many root hairs to remain uninfected by S. meliloti when it is delivered as a seed inoculant. Soil protists are an important component of the rhizosphere system who prey on soil bacteria and have been known to egest undigested phagosomes. We show that the soil protist, Colpoda sp., plays an important role in transporting S. meliloti down Medicago truncatula roots. By using pseudo-3D soil microcosms we directly observed the presence of fluorescently labelled S. meliloti along M. truncatula roots and track the displacement of bacteria over time. In the presence of Colpoda sp., S. meliloti was detected 44 mm, on average, farther down the roots, compared with the Bacteria Only Treatment. Facilitating bacterial transport may be an important mechanism whereby soil protists promote plant health. Protist facilitated transport as a sustainable agriculture biotechnology has the potential to boost efficacy of bacterial inoculants, avoid overuse of nitrogen fertilizers, and enhance performance of no-till farming practices.

Botany ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 96 (3) ◽  
pp. 175-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kwang-Yeol Yang ◽  
Stephanie Doxey ◽  
Joan E. McLean ◽  
David Britt ◽  
Andre Watson ◽  
...  

Formulations that include nanoparticles of CuO and ZnO are being considered for agricultural applications as fertilizers because they act as sources of Cu or Zn. Currently, few studies of the effects of these nanoparticles (NPs) consider the three-way interactions of NPs with the plant plus its microbiome. At doses that produced root shortening by both nanoparticles (NPs), CuO NPs induced the proliferation of elongated root hairs close to the root tip, and ZnO NPs increased lateral root formation in wheat seedlings (Triticum aestivum L.). These responses occurred with roots colonized by a beneficial bacterium, Pseudomonas chlororaphis O6 (PcO6), originally isolated from roots of wheat grown under dryland farming in calcareous soils. The PcO6-induced tolerance to drought stress in wheat seedlings was not impaired by the NPs. Rather, growth of the PcO6-colonized plants with NPs resulted in systemic increases in the expression of genes associated with tolerance to water stress. Increased expression in the shoots of other genes related to metal stress was consistent with higher levels of Cu and Zn in PcO6-colonized shoots grown with the NPs. This work demonstrates that plants grown with CuO or ZnO NPs showed cross-protection from different challenges such as metal stress and drought.


2008 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 781-790 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Ferrarini ◽  
Matteo De Stefano ◽  
Emmanuel Baudouin ◽  
Chiara Pucciariello ◽  
Annalisa Polverari ◽  
...  

Nitric oxide (NO) is involved in diverse physiological processes in plants, including growth, development, response to pathogens, and interactions with beneficial microorganisms. In this work, a dedicated microarray representing the widest database available of NO-related transcripts in plants has been produced with 999 genes identified by a cDNA amplified fragment length polymorphism analysis as modulated in Medicago truncatula roots treated with two NO donors. The microarray then was used to monitor the expression of NO-responsive genes in M. truncatula during the incompatible interaction with the foliar pathogen Colletotrichum trifolii race 1 and during the symbiotic interaction with Sinorhizobium meliloti 1021. A wide modulation of NO-related genes has been detected during the hypersensitive reaction or during nodule formation and is discussed with special emphasis on the physiological relevance of these genes in the context of the two biotic interactions. This work clearly shows that NO-responsive genes behave differently depending on the plant organ and on the type of interaction, strengthening the need to consider regulatory networks, including different signaling molecules.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Noriyoshi Isozumi ◽  
Yuya Masubuchi ◽  
Tomohiro Imamura ◽  
Masashi Mori ◽  
Hironori Koga ◽  
...  

AbstractA model legume, Medicago truncatula, has over 600 nodule-specific cysteine-rich (NCR) peptides required for symbiosis with rhizobia. Among them, NCR169, an essential factor for establishing symbiosis, has four cysteine residues that are indispensable for its function. However, knowledge of NCR169 structure and mechanism of action is still lacking. In this study, we solved two NMR structures of NCR169 caused by different disulfide linkage patterns. We show that both structures have a consensus C-terminal β-sheet attached to an extended N-terminal region with dissimilar features; one moves widely, whereas the other is relatively stapled. We further revealed that the disulfide bonds of NCR169 contribute to its structural stability and solubility. Regarding the function, one of the NCR169 oxidized forms could bind to negatively charged bacterial phospholipids. Furthermore, the positively charged lysine-rich region of NCR169 may be responsible for its antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Sinorhizobium meliloti. This active region was disordered even in the phospholipid bound state, suggesting that the disordered conformation of this region is key to its function. Morphological observations suggested the mechanism of action of NCR169 on bacteria. The present study on NCR169 provides new insights into the structure and function of NCR peptides.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia Kallala ◽  
Wissal M’sehli ◽  
Karima Jelali ◽  
Zribi Kais ◽  
Haythem Mhadhbi

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of symbiotic bacteria inoculation on the response ofMedicago truncatulagenotypes to iron deficiency. The present work was conducted on threeMedicago truncatulagenotypes: A17, TN8.20, and TN1.11. Three treatments were performed: control (C), direct Fe deficiency (DD), and induced Fe deficiency by bicarbonate (ID). Plants were nitrogen-fertilized (T) or inoculated with two bacterial strains:Sinorhizobium melilotiTII7 andSinorhizobium medicaeSII4. Biometric, physiological, and biochemical parameters were analyzed. Iron deficiency had a significant lowering effect on plant biomass and chlorophyll content in allMedicago truncatulagenotypes. TN1.11 showed the highest lipid peroxidation and leakage of electrolyte under iron deficiency conditions, which suggest that TN1.11 was more affected than A17 and TN8.20 by Fe starvation. Iron deficiency affected symbiotic performance indices of allMedicago truncatulagenotypes inoculated with bothSinorhizobiumstrains, mainly nodules number and biomass as well as nitrogen-fixing capacity. Nevertheless, inoculation withSinorhizobiumstrains mitigates the negative effect of Fe deficiency on plant growth and oxidative stress compared to nitrogen-fertilized plants. The highest auxin producing strain, TII7, preserves relatively high growth and root biomass and length when inoculated to TN8.20 and A17. On the other hand, both TII7 and SII4 strains improve the performance of sensitive genotype TN1.11 through reduction of the negative effect of iron deficiency on chlorophyll and plant Fe content. The bacterial inoculation improved Fe-deficient plant response to oxidative stress via the induction of the activities of antioxidant enzymes.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Rosier ◽  
Pascale B. Beauregard ◽  
Harsh P. Bais

AbstractPlant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have enormous potential for solving some of the myriad challenges facing our global agricultural system. Intense research efforts are rapidly moving the field forward and illuminating the wide diversity of bacteria and their plant beneficial activities. In the development of better crop solutions using these PGPR, producers are including multiple different species of PGPR in their formulations in a ‘consortia’ approach. While the intention is to emulate more natural rhizomicrobiome systems, the aspect of bacterial interactions has not been properly regarded. By using a tri-trophic model of Medicago truncatula A17 Jemalong, its nitrogen (N)-fixing symbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti Rm8530 and the PGPR Bacillus subtilis UD1022, we demonstrate indirect influences between the bacteria affecting their plant growth promoting activities. Co-cultures of UD1022 with Rm8530 significantly reduced Rm8530 biofilm formation and downregulated quorum sensing (QS) genes responsible for symbiotically active biofilm production. This work also identifies the presence and activity of a quorum quenching lactonase in UD1022 and proposes this as the mechanism for non-synergistic activity of this model ‘consortium’. These interspecies interactions may be common in the rhizosphere and are critical to understand as we seek to develop new sustainable solutions in agriculture.


2007 ◽  
Vol 189 (23) ◽  
pp. 8741-8745 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Jamet ◽  
Karine Mandon ◽  
Alain Puppo ◽  
Didier Hérouart

ABSTRACT The symbiotic interaction between Medicago sativa and Sinorhizobium meliloti RmkatB ++ overexpressing the housekeeping catalase katB is delayed, and this delay is combined with an enlargement of infection threads. This result provides evidence that H2O2 is required for optimal progression of infection threads through the root hairs and plant cell layers.


2009 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 1577-1587 ◽  
Author(s):  
Youry Pii ◽  
Alessandra Astegno ◽  
Elisa Peroni ◽  
Massimo Zaccardelli ◽  
Tiziana Pandolfini ◽  
...  

The Medicago truncatula N5 gene is induced in roots after Sinorhizobium meliloti infection and it codes for a putative lipid transfer protein (LTP), a family of plant small proteins capable of binding and transferring lipids between membranes in vitro. Various biological roles for plant LTP in vivo have been proposed, including defense against pathogens and modulation of plant development. The aim of this study was to shed light on the role of MtN5 in the symbiotic interaction between M. truncatula and S. meliloti. MtN5 cDNA was cloned and the mature MtN5 protein expressed in Escherichia coli. The lipid binding capacity and antimicrobial activity of the recombinant MtN5 protein were tested in vitro. MtN5 showed the capacity to bind lysophospholipids and to inhibit M. truncatula pathogens and symbiont growth in vitro. Furthermore, MtN5 was upregulated in roots after infection with either the fungal pathogen Fusarium semitectum or the symbiont S. meliloti. Upon S. meliloti infection, MtN5 was induced starting from 1 day after inoculation (dpi). It reached the highest concentration at 3 dpi and it was localized in the mature nodules. MtN5-silenced roots were impaired in nodulation, showing a 50% of reduction in the number of nodules compared with control roots. On the other hand, transgenic roots overexpressing MtN5 developed threefold more nodules with respect to control roots. Here, we demonstrate that MtN5 possesses biochemical features typical of LTP and that it is required for the successful symbiotic association between M. truncatula and S. meliloti.


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