Plants and Microbes: A Symbiotic Relationship

Shaping the Surrounding Microbiome

Plants engage in a complex network of microorganisms. They possess the ability to actively alter their surrounding microbiome, and in return, these microorganisms influence the plant's growth.

Professor Peng Yu, Professor for Plant Genetics at TUM, highlighted the potential of this interaction:

This interaction could be leveraged by applying specific beneficial microorganisms, which he refers to as "probiotics for plants."

Genetic and Metabolic Insights

To understand the beneficial symbiotic relationship between microorganisms and plants, a research team conducted investigations into plant-microbe interactions at genetic, metabolic, and physiological levels.

Their analyses revealed that 203 bacterial gene sequences are significantly shaped by the host plant, including through its metabolic products. This points to a dynamic role for plants in managing their microbial environment.

This indicates that plants actively modulate the composition and function of their surrounding microbiome in accordance with their requirements.

The study also shed light on nutrient acquisition:

Furthermore, the study found that 45% of the natural variation in nitrogen uptake can be attributed to the combined genetics of both the host and the microbes.