Open AccessPlant–environment microscopy tracks interactions of Bacillus subtilis with plant roots across the entire rhizosphere
Author(s) -
Yangminghao Liu,
Dániel Patkó,
Ilonka Engelhardt,
Timothy George,
Nicola R. StanleyWall,
Vincent Ladmiral,
Bruno Améduri,
Tim J. Daniell,
Nicola Holden,
Michael P. MacDonald,
Lionel Dupuy
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.2109176118
Subject(s) - rhizosphere , bacillus subtilis , microscopy , biology , soil water , botany , plant roots , in situ , biophysics , chemistry , ecology , bacteria , optics , physics , genetics , organic chemistry
Significance The lack of suitable approaches for studying root–microbe interactions, live and in situ, has severely limited our ability to understand the rhizosphere. In this study, we overcome this major limitation with an imaging system that combines transparent soils with cutting edge light sheet microscopy. The study revealed that the root cap is a point of first contact for microbes before establishment and reveals how the pore structure influences the patterns of interactions between the microbe and the plant. With the combined use of light sheet microscopy and transparent soils, we shed light on previously unseen interaction phenomena and accelerate the understanding of how rhizospheres are formed.