Molecular Pathogens, 2025, Vol.16, No.1, 19-26 http://microbescipublisher.com/index.php/mp 21 4 Microbial Interactions within Wheat Microbiomes 4.1 Synergistic relationships enhancing disease suppression Microorganisms at the roots of wheat can cooperate with each other to help wheat fight against diseases. Some wheat varieties attract specific microbial groups that protect the roots from bacteria, such as Rhizoctonia solani. For example, some studies have found that bacteria called Burkholderiales (such as Janthinobacterium) can often be found at the roots of certain wheat varieties. These bacteria are related to wheat growing better and having fewer diseases (Dilla-Ermita et al., 2021). In addition, rotational planting of multiple crops can also increase the number of microorganisms in the soil, many of which are good bacteria that can help fight diseases (Peralta et al., 2018; Wang, 2024). These findings suggest that there is a collaboration between plants and microorganisms, and that this collaboration can naturally help wheat reduce diseases. 4.2 Antagonistic interactions and their ecological roles There is also a “fight” relationship in the wheat microbiome. Some good bacteria will take the initiative to fight bad bacteria and prevent the occurrence of diseases. For example, a Bacillus was isolated from wheat seeds, which can strongly inhibit fungi that produces mycotoxins and reduce the number of these harmful fungi (Solanki et al., 2021). There is also a microorganism called Pseudomonas protegens that is also very powerful. It can prevent the growth of Fusarium graminearum and reduce the toxicity of this fungus. How did it do it? It is mainly by changing some "switches" in the fungus - such as the acetylation state of histones. This regulation will affect gene expression, which means that toxic genes will not be started (Chen et al., 2018; 2022). Pseudomonas calories can secrete some phenazine compounds (such as PCA and PCN), which can make it harder for bacteria to survive and synthesize toxins (Figure 1). This antagonistic relationship of “you fight and I fight” is very useful for protecting wheat. 4.3 Role of microbial networks in maintaining stability There is not only cooperation and confrontation between microorganisms, but they will also form complex “networks”, which are crucial to maintaining the stability of soil ecology. Scientists use network models to analyze which microorganisms are related to plant health, so that they can find out the types of microorganisms that are helpful for disease prevention (Poudel et al., 2016; Bziuk et al., 2022). For example, if wheat is planted for several consecutive years, the number of certain beneficial bacteria in the soil (such as Chitinophaga and Pseudomonas) will increase, which will help prevent and treat diseases (Yin et al., 2020). These microbial networks not only help us find out which bacteria are key players, but also allow us to better understand how they influence each other and maintain a healthy ecological environment together. 5 Biotechnological Applications in Wheat Microbiome Engineering 5.1 Advances in microbiome editing technologies There are many new technologies that can help us improve the wheat microbiome and make it more disease-proof. Methods like next-generation sequencing and metatranscriptome can let us see clearly what microorganisms are in the soil, especially in those naturally inhibiting diseases (Schlatter et al., 2017; Hayden et al., 2018). Through these technologies, scientists can find out which microorganisms and genes play a role in disease resistance. In this way, we can adjust the microbiota more purposefully, such as making them more protective against bacteria like Rhizoctonia solani AG8. 5.2 Strategies for microbiome enhancement in wheat fields 5.2.1 Application of biocontrol agents One approach is to use biological control bacteria. These bacteria are generally screened from “disease-inhibiting soil”, such as Serratia, Bacillus, and Acinetobacter. If used together, the effect is better than that of a single strain. This may be because they can communicate and produce more disease-resistant substances, such as chitinase (Méndez et al., 2021). Scientists have also developed the “SynComs” to protect wheat from soil-borne bacteria. But at present, their effects are sometimes good and sometimes poor (Yin et al., 2022).
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ4ODYzNA==