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Review
. 2021 Sep 27;22(19):10388.
doi: 10.3390/ijms221910388.

Plant-Microbe Interaction: Aboveground to Belowground, from the Good to the Bad

Kalaivani Nadarajah  1 , Nur Sabrina Natasha Abdul Rahman  1
Affiliations
Review

Plant-Microbe Interaction: Aboveground to Belowground, from the Good to the Bad

Kalaivani Nadarajah et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Soil health and fertility issues are constantly addressed in the agricultural industry. Through the continuous and prolonged use of chemical heavy agricultural systems, most agricultural lands have been impacted, resulting in plateaued or reduced productivity. As such, to invigorate the agricultural industry, we would have to resort to alternative practices that will restore soil health and fertility. Therefore, in recent decades, studies have been directed towards taking a Magellan voyage of the soil rhizosphere region, to identify the diversity, density, and microbial population structure of the soil, and predict possible ways to restore soil health. Microbes that inhabit this region possess niche functions, such as the stimulation or promotion of plant growth, disease suppression, management of toxicity, and the cycling and utilization of nutrients. Therefore, studies should be conducted to identify microbes or groups of organisms that have assigned niche functions. Based on the above, this article reviews the aboveground and below-ground microbiomes, their roles in plant immunity, physiological functions, and challenges and tools available in studying these organisms. The information collected over the years may contribute toward future applications, and in designing sustainable agriculture.

Keywords: aboveground; associations; belowground; microbiome; niche communities.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Shows the plant-microbe interactions aboveground and belowground observed in a plant’s natural environment. The pink box covers endophytic microorganisms, whereas the green box describes phyllosphere and epiphytic microorganisms. The purple column provides the explanation for microbe–microbe interaction; the orange column shows the explanation for root–microbe contact, and the blue column for root–root interaction. 3. Microbes and plant immunity.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The process of the SAR mechanism. The generation of signals in the diseased organ. The signal is sent to other parts of the plant that are not affected. After transcriptional and metabolic remodeling, the essential molecule is present in the healing organ as immunity. The black arrow represents the movement of the SAR signal to the distal organ.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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