Soil Microbiota Modulates Root Transcriptome With Divergent Effect on Maize Growth Under Low and High Phosphorus Inputs

Chao Wang; Huanhuan Tai; Yinglong Chen; Zhiwen Zhai; Lin Zhang; Zitian Pu; Maolin Zhang; Chunjian Li; Zhihong Xie

doi:10.1111/pce.15281

Soil Microbiota Modulates Root Transcriptome With Divergent Effect on Maize Growth Under Low and High Phosphorus Inputs

Plant Cell Environ. 2024 Nov 18. doi: 10.1111/pce.15281. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Chao Wang^{1

2}, Huanhuan Tai³, Yinglong Chen⁴, Zhiwen Zhai⁵, Lin Zhang², Zitian Pu¹, Maolin Zhang⁶, Chunjian Li², Zhihong Xie¹

Affiliations

¹ National Engineering Research Center for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer Resources, College of Resources and Environment, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong Province, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China.
⁴ The UWA Institute of Agriculture, and School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
⁵ Yazhouwan National Laboratory, Sanya, Hainan Province, China.
⁶ Dongying City Yibang Agricultural Technology Development Co., Ltd., Dongying, Shandong Province, China.

PMID: 39552518
DOI: 10.1111/pce.15281

Abstract

Plant growth can be promoted by beneficial microorganisms, or inhibited by detrimental ones. Although the interaction process between a single microbial species and its host has been extensively studied, the growth and transcriptional response of the host to soil microbiota is poorly understood. We planted maize in natural or sterile soil collected from a long-term experimental site with two different soil phosphate (P) regimes. We examined the composition of microbial communities inhabiting root-associated niches in natural soil. In parallel, we determined the biomass, ionomes, and root transcriptome profiling of maize grown in natural or sterile soil. Soil microbiota could promote or inhibit different P starvation-responsive (PSR) genes, as well as induce several defense-related metabolic processes independently of external P levels. Soil microbiota accompanied by long-term application of P fertilizer induced lower intensity of PSR and defense responses, inhibiting maize growth. Under a low P regime, the PSR and defense responses were induced to a higher extent, promoting P absorption and growth. Our findings suggest a soil P-dependent effect of microbiota on maize growth by integrating PSR and defense responses and provide a more refined understanding of the interaction between root growth and soil microbiota.

Keywords: functional diversity; ionome; maize; phosphate; root transcriptome; soil microbiota.

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (2022YFD1201700); the Shandong Key Research and Development Program (2021CXGC010804); the Open Research Fund Program of State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management (KF2024-6); the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32102480).