Plant lignin content altered by soil microbial community.
Questions have been raised in various fields of research about the consequences of plants with modified lignin production. As a result of their roles in nutrient cycling and plant diversity, plant-soil interactions should be a major focus of ecological studies on lignin-modified plants. However, most studies have been decomposition studies conducted in a single soil or in sterile soil. Thus, we understand little about plant-soil interactions in living lignin-modified plants. In lignin mutants of three different barley (Hordeum vulgare) cultivars and their corresponding wild-types associated with three different soil microbial communities, we asked: do plant-soil microbiome interactions influence the lignin content of plants?; does a mutation in lignin production alter the outcome of plant-soil microbiome interactions?; does the outcome of plant-soil microbiome interactions depend on host genotype or the presence of a mutation altering lignin production? In roots, the soil community explained 6% of the variation in lignin content, but, in shoots, the soil community explained 21% of the variation in lignin content and was the only factor influencing lignin content. Neither genotype nor mutations in lignin production explained associations with fungi. Lignin content changes in response to a plant's soil microbial community, and may be a defensive response to particular components of the soil community.
Ecological Sciences, James Hutton Institute, Errol Road, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA, UK.
Alison E
AE
Bennett
Division of Plant Sciences, University of Dundee at the James Hutton Institute, Errol Road, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA, UK.
Dominic
D
Grussu
Division of Plant Sciences, University of Dundee at the James Hutton Institute, Errol Road, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA, UK.
Jason
J
Kam
Ecological Sciences, James Hutton Institute, Errol Road, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA, UK.
Sandra
S
Caul
Division of Plant Sciences, University of Dundee at the James Hutton Institute, Errol Road, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA, UK.
Claire
C
Halpin
D018533:Biomass; D001467:Hordeum / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D008031:Lignin / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000502:physiology*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D012988:Soil Microbiology
D008031:Lignin
arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi; barley (Hordeum vulgare); dark septate endophyte lignin; plant defense; rob1; soil microbial community