Mutually beneficial interactions between bacteria and Arabidopsis promote phosphorus nutrition and growth
Aug. 27, 2026
Prof. Yang Bai published a paper in Cell with his collaborators.
It remains unknown whether plants establish mutualistic relationships with any bacteria to cope with phosphorus (P) limitation. We characterized root-bacterial microbiome members to show that many of them may cooperate with Arabidopsis to promote seedling P nutrition and growth. In-depth analyses uncovered an intricate interaction between Arabidopsis and Acinetobacter bacteria during P deficiency. Instead of a direct role in P-mining, malate secreted by P-deprived roots acts as a call-for-help signal that recruits bacteria to the rhizoplane, where Acinetobacter adopt a mutualistic lifestyle and utilize host-derived nutrients to robustly mobilize P normally inaccessible to plants. The rhizoplane, but not the surrounding space, served as a hotspot for P acquisition by both plants and bacteria. The interaction occurred in the context of a bacterial community and in P-impoverished soil. Our work reveals a mutualistic strategy between bacteria and a non-mycorrhizal plant that promotes P nutrition.
Original Link: https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(26)00917-7