Root exudates enhanced rhizobacteria complexity and microbial carbon metabolism of toxic plants

Wenyin Wang; Tianhua Jia; Tianyun Qi; Shanshan Li; A Allan Degen; Jin Han; Yanfu Bai; Tao Zhang; Shuai Qi; Mei Huang; Zihao Li; Jianxin Jiao; Zhanhuan Shang

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2022.105243

Root exudates enhanced rhizobacteria complexity and microbial carbon metabolism of toxic plants

iScience. 2022 Sep 29;25(10):105243. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105243. eCollection 2022 Oct 21.

Authors

Wenyin Wang¹, Tianhua Jia¹, Tianyun Qi¹, Shanshan Li², A Allan Degen³, Jin Han¹, Yanfu Bai¹, Tao Zhang¹, Shuai Qi¹, Mei Huang¹, Zihao Li¹, Jianxin Jiao¹, Zhanhuan Shang¹

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China.
³ Desert Animal Adaptations and Husbandry, Wyler Department of Dryland Agriculture, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 8410500, Israel.

Abstract

Root exudates and rhizosphere microorganisms play key roles in the colonization of toxic plants under climate change and land degradation. However, how root exudates affect the rhizosphere microorganisms and soil nutrients of toxic plants in degraded grasslands remains unknown. We compared the interaction of soil microbial communities, root exudates, microbial carbon metabolism, and environmental factors in the rhizosphere of toxic and non-toxic plants. Deterministic processes had a greater effect on toxic than non-toxic plants, as root exudates affected rhizosphere microorganisms directly. The 328 up-regulated compounds in root exudates of toxic plants affected the diversity of rhizosphere microorganisms. Rhizosphere bacteria-enriched enzymes were involved in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway. Root exudates of toxic plants form complex networks of rhizosphere microorganisms, provide high rhizosphere nutrients, and increase microbial carbon metabolism. The interaction between root exudates and rhizosphere microorganisms is the key mechanism that enables toxic plants to spread in degraded grassland habitats.

Keywords: Biological sciences; interaction of plants with organisms; plant biology.