P-367 - Mapping interactions between rhizobacteria and plants to promote plant growth and health

Monday, August 4, 2025

4:30 PM - 5:15 PM HST

Location: Exhibit Hall 3

Presenting Author(s)

SQ

Shanshan Qi

Uchicago
Chicago, Illinois, United States

Author(s)

TH

Tomoya Honda

The US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA
San Francisco, California, United States
SY

Sora Yu

Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkely, CA
San Francisco, California, United States
YY

Yasuo Yoshikuni

The US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA
San Francisco, California, United States
JJ

Jessica Johnson

Bioscience Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL
Chicago, Illinois, United States
CA

Chase Akins

Bioscience Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL
Chicago, Illinois, United States
GB

Gyorgy Babbnig

Bioscience Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL
Chicago, Illinois, United States
JG

Jean T. Greenberg, PhD (she/her/hers)

Professor
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL, USA

Abstract Text: The interaction dynamics of root and microbes in the rhizosphere shapes plant growth and health, including protection from aerial protection. We aim to map interactions between rhizobacteria and plants to understand chemical exchanges and plant genes needed for understanding plant phenotypic changes. We engineer rhizobacteria to be biosensors that sense different chemicals like sugars, defense signals and produce fluorescent proteins in response. We also develop assays for testing strains that permit genetic interactions using Arabidopsis mutants to be mapped together with sensor activity. Assays include monitoring rhizobacterial growth on hydroponically-grown plants, assessing plant protection from aerial pathogen damage, assessing plant root attraction and growth, and conferring of plant phenotype switching on synthetic communities (syncom). Highlights of our findings: Several plant signaling proteins are important for plant growth responses and rhizobacterial colonization; two sensor strains can confer phenotype switching of a syncom such that instead of suppressing growth, the syncom promotes plant growth; roots of a plant signaling mutant are more attracted to rhizobacteria than WT. We will use sensors with these assay systems to characterize signals that may be exchanged. We are applying bacterial sensors of signals and genetic variants of Arabidopsis to have a deep view on how these complex interactions influence plant phenotypes and plant health, including resistance to pathogens.