Q3
2014
Plant-Soil Microbe interactions
Innovative techniques and new leads for improved plant
defence and nutrition.
The Technology
The plant root-soil microbe interaction is critical to plant health and economic yield, however, due to its nature has
been very difficult to study. Recent breakthroughs in next generation sequencing and metabolomics, together with
the recent development of the first cDNA microarray for soil microbial communities by Professor Schenk’s group,
have provided a great opportunity to understand this interaction at both the genetic and biochemical level.
Professor Schenk and his team are using a holistic approach to identify targets and develop bioactives for
controlling/stimulating plant-soil microbe interactions. The group simultaneously analyses plant gene expression,
plant-microbe chemical interactions, and microbial community gene expression (metatranscriptomics). The
innovative methods being deployed by Professor Schenk and his team have opened new doors into understanding
the soil microbe communities, their interactions with plants, and how to leverage this knowledge to improve crop
production. Important novel genes and compounds are being identified and evaluated for their ability to improve soil
health and increase resistance to soil pathogens and disease through plant-soil microbe interactions.
Competitive Advantages
99% of the soil microbial community is unable to be cultured, therefore the key interactions that contribute to plant
defence and nutrition remain largely unknown.
The first to understand these complex systems will be positioned to capitalise on a raft of potential new technologies
and applications.
Applications
Exogenous treatment of plants to manipulate soil microbial communities
Research in Prof Schenk’s lab has shown that bacterial composition in the soil is affected by activation of the plant’s
naturally induced systemic resistance system. From this the team is aiming to develop plant defence elicitor products
against a broad range of pathogens and pests; Alleviation of abiotic stress; and Improvement of plant nutrition by
enriching plant growth promoting microbes.
Isolation and testing of new beneficial microbes
novel biocontrol agents; novel plant growth promoting microbes (PGPR).
Identification of new antimicrobial and insecticidal compounds
Novel antimicrobial compounds; novel insecticidal compounds; novel biocontrol peptides; novel transient RNAi
technologies.
Discovery of new resistance genes
Novel antimicrobial genes; novel insecticidal genes
Direct soil treatment to manipulate soil microbial communities
Direct application of plant defence elicitors have been shown to have effects on soil bacteria. Prof Schenk and his
team are evaluating opportunities to treat soils with bioactives to improve microbial communities for increased
nutrition and disease resistance.
Use of root exudates to manipulate microbial communities
Research has shown that exudation of specific proteins by plants can confer resistance against bacterial pathogens
and nematodes. Prof Schenk and his team and his team are investigating opportunities to develop varieties that
release specific exudates for: attraction of beneficial microbes for nutrition and disease resistance; and allelopathic
compounds to control weeds.
Commercialisation opportunities
UniQuest Pty Limited, the main commercialisation company of The University of Queensland, is engaging with
commercial partners to form research partnerships to realise and develop findings from this project.
Contact name: Duncan Ferguson
Phone: (+61) 407 733 619 E-mail: [email protected]
People and Publications
Prof. Peer Schenk
DISEASE RESISTANT PLANTS:
Prof. Schenk and his team use a Functional Genomics and Biodiscovery
approach to study beneficial and parasitic interactions of plants with
microorganisms.
MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES ASSOCIATED WITH PLANTS:
Prof. Schenk and his team use are using molecular profiling tools, such as
functional gene microarrays and next generation sequencing, to characterise
highly diverse microbial communities that are associated with plants to identify
novel compounds for agricultural applications. This environmental
transcriptomics (metatranscriptomics) approach captures microbial activity
profiles with direct implications for crop cultivation (e.g. soil-borne diseases,
greenhouse gas emmissions, yield increase or decline).
BIOFUEL PRODUCTION FROM ALGAE:
Prof. Schenk and his team use house a collection of Australian microalgae
strains that are highly efficient producers of biodiesel and use a special non-GM
breeding technique to further improve their performance. Cutting-edge molecular
biology tools are used for metabolic engineering.
Relevant Publications
Sewelam, Nasser, Kazan, Kemal, Thomas-Hall, Skye R., Kidd, Brendan N., Manners, John M. and Schenk, Peer M. (2013) Ethylene
response factor 6 is a regulator of reactive oxygen species signaling in Arabidopsis. PLoS One, 8 8: e70289.1-e70289.13.
Carvalhais, Lilia C., Dennis, Paul G., Badri, Dayakar V., Tyson, Gene W., Vivanco, Jorge M. and Schenk, Peer M. (2013) Activation of the
jasmonic acid plant defence pathway alters the composition of rhizosphere bacterial communities. PLoS ONE, 8 2: .
Carvalhais, Lilia C., Dennis, Paul G., Tyson, Gene W. and Schenk, Peer M. (2012) Application of metatranscriptomics to soil
environments. Journal of Microbiological Methods, 91 2: 246-251.
Cevik, Volkan, Kidd, Brendan N., Zhang, Peijun, Hill, Claire, Kiddle, Steve, Denby, Katherine J., Holub, Eric B., Cahill, David M.,
Manners, John M., Schenk, Peer M., Beynon, Jim and Kazan, Kemal (2012) MEDIATOR25 acts as an integrative hub for the regulation
of jasmonate-responsive gene expression in Arabidopsis 1[C][W]. Plant Physiology, 160 1: 541-555.
Schenk, Peer M., Carvalhais, Lilia C. and Kazan, Kemal (2012) Unravelling plant -microbe interactions: Can multi-species
transcriptomics help?. Trends in Biotechnology, 30 3: 177-184.
Kidd, Brendan N., Cahill, David M., Manners, John M., Schenk, Peer M. and Kazan, Kemal (2011) Diverse roles of the Mediator complex
in plants. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology, 22 7: 741-748.
Kidd, Brendan N., Kadoo, Narendra Y., Dombrecht, Bruno, Tekeoglu, Mücella, Gardiner, Donald M., Thatcher, Louise F., Aitken,
Elizabeth A. B., Schenk, Peer M., Manners, John M. and Kazan, Kemal (2011) Auxin signaling and transport promote susceptibility to the
root infecting fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum in Arabidopsis. Molecular Plant Microbe Interactions, 24 6: 733-748.
Pregelj, Lisette, McLanders, Joanne R., Gresshoff, Peter M. and Schenk, Peer M. (2011) Transcription profiling of the isoflavone
phenylpropanoid pathway in soybean in response to Bradyrhizobium japonicum inoculation. Functional Plant Biology, 38 1: 13-24.
McGrath, Ken C., Mondav, Rhiannon, Sintrajaya, Regina, Slattery, Bill, Schmidt, Susanne and Schenk, Peer M. (2010) Development of
an environmental functional gene microarray for soil microbial communities. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 76 21: 7161-7170.
Paungfoo-Lonhienne, Chanyarat, Lonhienne, Thierry G. A., Mudge, Stepehen R., Schenk, Peer M., Christie, Michael, Carroll, Bernard J.
and Schmidt, Susanne (2010) DNA is taken up by root hairs and pollen, and stimulates root and pollen tube growth. Plant
Physiology, 153 2: 799-805.
Kidd, B.N., Aitken, E.A., Schenk, P.M., Manners, J.M. and Kazan, K. (2010) Plant mediator: Mediating the jasmonate response. Plant
Signaling and Behavior, 5 6: 718-720.
Kidd, Brendan N., Edgar, Cameron I., Kumar, Krish K., Aitken, Elizabeth A., Schenk, Peer M., Manners, John M. and Kazan, Kemal
(2009) The Mediator Complex Subunit PFT1 Is a Key Regulator of Jasmonate-Dependent Defense in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell, 21 8: 22372252.
Schenk, Peer M.P., Choo, J.H. and Wong, C.L. (2009) Microarray analyses to study plant defence and rhizosphere-microbe
interactions. CAB Reviews: Perspectives in Agriculture, Veterinary Science, Nutrition and Natural Resources, 4045: 1-14.
Contact name: Duncan Ferguson
Phone: (+61) 407 733 619 E-mail: [email protected]