J Integr Plant Biol. ›› 2022, Vol. 64 ›› Issue (2): 230-243.DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13226

• Invited Expert Reviews • Previous Articles     Next Articles

The root microbiome: Community assembly and its contributions to plant fitness

Bo Bai1,2, Weidong Liu1,3,4, Xingyu Qiu1,5, Jie Zhang6, Jingying Zhang1,3,4* and Yang Bai1,3,4*   

  1. 1 State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
    2 Institute of Crop Germplasm Resources, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Ecology and Physiology, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Ji'nan 250100, China
    3 CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
    4 CAS‐JIC Centre of Excellence for Plant and Microbial Science, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
    5 Center for life science, Yunnan University, Yunnan 650091, China
    6 State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China

    * Correspondences: Yang Bai (ybai@genetics.ac.cn; Dr. Bai is fully responsible for the distributions of all materials associated with this article); Jingying Zhang (jyzhang@genetics.ac.cn)
  • Received:2021-12-09 Accepted:2022-01-10 Online:2022-01-13 Published:2022-02-01

Abstract: The root microbiome refers to the community of microbes living in association with a plant's roots, and includes mutualists, pathogens, and commensals. Here we focus on recent advances in the study of root commensal community which is the major research object of microbiome-related researches. With the rapid development of new technologies, plant–commensal interactions can be explored with unprecedented breadth and depth. Both the soil environment and the host plant drive commensal community assembly. The bulk soil is the seed bank of potential commensals, and plants use root exudates and immune responses to build healthy microbial communities from the available microbes. The plant microbiome extends the functional system of plants by participating in a variety of processes, including nutrient absorption, growth promotion, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Plants and their microbiomes have evolved adaptation strategies over time. However, there is still a huge gap in our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of plant–commensal interactions. In this review, we summarize recent research on the assembly of root microbial communities and the effects of these communities on plant growth and development, and look at the prospects for promoting sustainable agricultural development through the study of the root microbiome.

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