Abstract
Plants are an intrinsic part of the soil community, which is comprised
of a diverse range of organisms that interact in the rhizosphere through
continuous molecular communications. The plant-microbe continuum forms a
network of underground nutrient and information highways that benefit
both plant and microbial communities, as well as ultimately serve as a
significant sink for atmospheric CO 2. The molecular
dialogue at the rhizosphere interface is crucial not only for plants to
discriminate between harmful, benign, and beneficial microorganisms but
also to actively participate in crop productivity and resilience to
environmental stresses. Although many facets of the chemistry of
inter-organism communication remain to be discovered, and the molecular
mechanisms that underly hormone-regulated symbiosis are largely
unexplored, biological fertilization is an attractive tool for the
sustainable production of high-value crops. Here, we discuss our
increasing knowledge of the chemical repertoire that underpins
plant-microbe communication and host-range specificity, highlighting how
the regulated production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is used in
inter-organism communication between plants and microbes and within the
communities that shape the soil microbiome.