Dissecting Structure and Function of Plant Rhizomicrobiome: A Genomic Approach

Abstract

Rhizomicrobiome is the most diverse and highly dynamic environment primarily influenced by root exudates of the host plant. It is a hotspot region for total microbial activities that imparts a beneficial effect on plants by enhancing nutrient availability and suppressing the growth of invading phytopathogens. Numerous efforts have been undertaken to unmask the total microbial diversity and interactive mechanisms occurring at the rhizosphere. Communication within the rhizosphere microbiome via signalling molecules provides a basic model for interactions, but there is a need to explore important events at the molecular level. Dissecting the rhizomicrobiome environment with classical (culture isolation techniques, biochemical characterization, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing) and modern approaches (metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) in combination with bioinformatic tools (BLAST, KEGG, Swiss-Prot, etc.) has unravelled some of the important aspects of microbial interactions at rhizosphere. The role of molecular and bioinformatics tools becomes very important as they cover microbial responses at every stage, e.g. at DNA, RNA, and protein levels. These classical and modern approaches along with bioinformatics tools are a great attempt to unfold hidden secrets in rhizomicrobiome with respect to plant health.