BioScientific Review (BSR)

Volume No.1, Issue No. 4, 2019

ISSN(P): 2663-4198 ISSN(E): 2663-4201
Journal DOI: https://doi.org/10.32350/BSR
Issue DOI: https://doi.org/10.32350/BSR.0104
Homepage: https://journals.umt.edu.pk/index.php/BSR/Home

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Insights into Chemical Interaction between

Article: Plants and Microbes and its Potential Use in Soil
Remediation

Author(s): Kaneez Fatima

Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.32350/BSR.0104.05

Article QR Code:

Fatima K. Insights into chemical interaction between

plants and microbes and its potential use in soil
To cite this article: remediation. BioSci Rev. 2019;1(4):39–45.
Crossref

A publication of the
Department of Life Sciences, School of Science
University of Management and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan
Insights into the Chemical Interaction between Plants and Microbes
and its Potential Use in Soil Remediation
Kaneez Fatima
Environmental Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and
Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Faisalabad, Pakistan
*Corresponding author: kaneezfatima77@yahoo.com
Abstract
Soil bacteria are very vital and they are frequently used in production of crop. Chemical
dialogues between bacteria and plant roots result in the proliferation and biofilm
formation of plant growth promoting and contaminant degrading bacteria. Plant-bacterial
interactions in the rhizosphere are the determinants of plant health and soil fertility. Plant
growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) which is also known as plant health promoting
rhizobacteria (PHPR) or nodule promoting rhizobacteria (NPR). It can benefit the host
plant directly by enhancing plant growth or indirectly by producing hydrolytic enzymes
and by priming plant defence. This review elaborates the effect of plant and bacterial
products on the remediation of contaminated soil.
Keywords: colonization, plant-bacterial synergism, root exudates, soil remediation

1. Introduction endophytes, and PGPR [6, 7, 8]. Besides

Terrestrial ecosystem comprises numerous these interactions with beneficial
niches among which the association microorganisms, plant roots also interact
between plants and microbes plays an with pathogenic microbes [9]. The roots of
integral role [1]. Plant-microbe plants release a variety of chemicals in a
interactions are of various types and large amount which help to attract
include mutualism, commensalism, beneficial bacteria and in the fight against
parasitism and antagonism [2]. The most pathogenic ones, such as Azospirillum,
common interactions include mutualism Bacillus, Pseudomonas species [10, 11].
and commensalism, where one or both The aim of this article is to explore the
participating organisms benefit from them hidden mechanism of key root exudate
[3]. components responsible for the
accelerated rhizodegradation of organic
Rhizosphere contains the root system of pollutants. It also intends to indicate the
plants. It exhibits a flexible morphology responses of soil microorganisms to
and structure that help to respond to any different root exudate components.
change in the surrounding environment.
The health and productivity of plant is 2. Chemical Communication between
influenced by its rhizosphere [4]. The root Plants and Microbes
system provides anchorage, helps in Rhizosphere is the narrow region of soil
nutrients uptake and facilitates many
underground interactions [5]. These where the root exudates of plants drive an
interactions comprise a mutualistic intense microbial activity [12, 13].
relationship with plant associated bacteria, Rhizobacteria colonize the roots of plants
such as rhizobia, mycorrhizae, and stimulate their growth. Inoculation
and colonization of plant roots with PGPR

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has been used as a way to enhance the bacterial strains to stimulate the growth of
growth of plants [14]. The signalling plants. Such mechanisms include nitrogen
between plants and bacteria influence the fixation, synthesis of phytohormones,
bacterial colonization of plant roots which siderophores, removing toxic chemicals
is a complicated multistep process [15, and fighting pathogenic microbes [33, 34,
16]. Bacterial traits that affect the process 35]. Besides this, these bacterial strains
of root colonization include motility and also enhance the bioavailability of mineral
components of bacterial surface, such as nutrients such as iron and phosphorous
flagella and pili [17, 18]. The growth and through the decomposition and
physiology of rhizobacteria is influenced mineralization of organic matter [25].
by specie specific exudates secreted by Various chemicals produced by these
plants. These exudates contain various bacteria may also help to enhance the plant
biochemical components such as community. Roots contain epidermal
carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and extensions called root hairs which directly
different organic acids [19, 6, 20]. The participate in nutrient and water
composition of these exudates and the absorption [7, 20]. The development of
ability of bacteria to catabolize these primary roots, root hairs and adventitious
chemicals are the key determinants of roots is strongly induced by AHL
primary colonizers [21, 22, 23]. molecules. The acyl chain length of AHL
Pseudomonas is a bacterial specie which molecules may influence the thickening of
can compete for limited carbon source and root hairs. Small chains of these molecules
is capable of catabolizing a wide range of (C6-C8) do not modify the development of
plant root exudates. This ability has made root hairs [36, 32]. Long chains of these
pseudomonas one of the most successful molecules (C8-C12) attenuate the
root colonizers [24, 25]. development of root hairs in a dose
dependant manner [37, 31]. For example,
Quorum sensing is a mechanism which is
C10- AHL molecule has been reported to
utilized by bacterial communities to sense
stimulate the lateral root hair formation on
and communicate with environment [26,
the tip region. When these quorum signal
27]. It is a sensing mechanism based on
molecules are exogenously applied on root
cell population density. Bacterial cells,
hairs, they may produce a response similar
particularly the gram negative bacteria,
to auxins. Their role in cell division is
release molecules such as N-acyl
evident by the regulation of lateral root
homoserine lactone (AHL) which can
hair formation [38].
sense quorum [28, 29]. Plants have
evolved various methods to identify and The array of signalling metabolites
respond to AHLs. This helps in the produced by microbe assemblages present
establishment of symbiotic associations in the soil have become an interesting and
between bacteria and plants [30, 31, 32]. important subject for investigators. These
Plants perceive surrounding AHL metabolites affect the genetic expression
molecules and modify their genetic of host plants [39]. Volatile organic
expressions accordingly, which in turn compounds (VOCs) are among the very
changes their protein profile and finally well-documented signalling molecules
adjust development based on the nature of produced by bacterial communities. These
signals [30, 33]. lipophilic compounds with low molecular
weight serve as a chemical window to
Various direct and indirect mechanisms
release information. These compounds are
are used by certain AHL producing
synthesized by various metabolic

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Insights into the Chemical Interaction between Plants and Microbes…

pathways [26]. Recent findings suggest a

more crucial role of VOCs in microbial
communication than their other volatile
equivalents. For example, numerous
VOCs are produced by rhizobacteria that
may contain alkanes, alkenes, ketones,
alcohol, terpenoids and sulphur
compounds [39, 32].
3. Role of Root Exudates in
Biodegradation
Recently, root exudation has gained
significant attention as the process used for
the biodegradation of hydrocarbons occurs
in the rhizosphere. As shown in Fig. 1, root
exudates act by enhancing the
hydrocarbon degrader population of the
rhizosphere and serve as a carbon source Figure 1. Improvement of petroleum
for microorganisms, thereby enhancing hydrocarbon degradation by root exudates
hydrocarbon degradation [11]. The
concentration of root exudates was found 4. Conclusion
to be negatively correlated with the Plants are environmentally safe,
concentration of hydrocarbons, that is, the economically advantageous, and a robust
higher the root exudate concentration the renewable resource of in situ reduction of
lower the concentration of hydrocarbons contaminants. Their root systems are
in that area. As the distance from the root generally extensive and provide a
increases, the biodegradation of conducive environment for microbial
phenanthrene also decreases [16]. propagation and activity, both within and
Biodegradation reportedly remains 86% in outside of plant tissues. The combined use
the first 3mm from the roots and gradually of root exudates, contaminant degrading
decreases to 48% between 3-6mm. It rhizosphere and/or endophytic bacteria
declines to 36% between 6-9mm [26]. A provides an effective approach for the
number of external factors influence the remediation of contaminated soil.
chemical complexity of exudates
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