Cell walls and their role in the plant root microbiome.
Waymouth VJ, Keynton ACW, Brumley DR, Ebert B, Watt M
Summary
7.6/10Microbes in soil interact with plant root cell walls before entering the plant, affecting both the microbes and plant biology. Understanding this microscopic interface could help agricultural systems design better soil microbiomes to improve crop productivity.
Key Findings
Plant root microbiomes navigate cell wall polymers (cellulose and chitin) as a dynamic, cell-type-dependent scaffold before entering plant cells
Microbial interaction with root cell walls triggers plant gene responses that regulate enzymes for cell wall biosynthesis and degradation
Critical knowledge gaps exist regarding nutrient exchange mechanisms, fluid flow dynamics, and microbial movement physics within the cell wall matrix
Original Abstract
Plant roots form a microbiome that interacts at the cell wall extracellular matrix before entering the cell. The root primary and accessory walls present a dynamic, cell-type-dependent scaffold that microbes must navigate, using shared cellulose or contrasting chitin motifs and influencing plant gene responses that encode enzymes for cell wall biosynthesis and degradation. We propose that an interface evolves as microbes reach the root tip and interact with host polymers, potentially driving concurrent degradation of root and microbial cells. Knowledge gaps span diffusion, fluid flow, nutrient exchange, and the physics of microbial motion within the wall boundary. Advances in in situ imaging and mathematical modelling can help understand the dynamics of cell walls to design root microbiomes to function in agroecosystems.