Scientists identify genes key to microbial colonization of plant roots

Some microbes can form thin films called biofilms. These biofilms give them an advantage over other microbes by protecting them from stresses such as a lack of nutrients or the presence of harmful substances in the environment. Researchers often focus on the biofilms that pathogens use to resist antibiotics. However, some biofilms can be helpful to plants and other host organisms. In previous work, researchers found that Pantoea sp. YR343, a bacterium that promotes plant growth, forms robust biofilms along the root surface of Populus, the genus which includes willow and cottonwood trees. Scientists know relatively little about the mechanisms behind the formation of biofilms on plant roots, particularly at the genetic level. However, research has found that enzymes called diguanylate cyclases are key to biofilm formation. This new research has identified a diguanylate cyclase, DGC2884, that is expressed specifically in the presence of plants when bacteria colonize roots and form biofilms.

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