Abstract
Summary
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.
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.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 166-174 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | New Phytologist |
| Volume | 206 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 12 Nov 2014 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Apr 2015 |
Keywords
- rob1
- Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi
- Barley (Hordeum vulgare)
- Dark septate endophyte lignin
- Plant defense
- Soil microbial community
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Plant Science
- Physiology
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Dive into the research topics of 'Plant lignin content altered by soil microbial community'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 1 Finished
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Aref#d: 20552. Manipulating Lignin to Improve Biofuel Conversion of Plant Biomass (joint with University of York)
Halpin, C. (Investigator)
20/04/09 → 19/10/14
Project: Research
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