Differential proteomics of bacteria grown in vitro and in planta reveals functions used during growth on maize roots
6 affiliations
- 1Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
- 2Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
- 3Department of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- 4Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Kansas Biological Survey and Center for Ecological Research, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States
- 5Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
- 6Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Carroll College, Helena, MT, United States
Abstract
Microbes are ubiquitous in the rhizosphere and play crucial roles in plant health; however, the metabolisms and physiologies of individual species in planta remain poorly understood. In this study, we examined microbial gene expression in response to the maize root environment for seven bacterial species originally isolated from maize roots. We grew each species individually, both in vitro in a minimal medium and in planta , and used differential proteomics to identify functions upregulated specifically when bacteria are grown on maize roots. We identified between 1,500 and 2,100 proteins from each species, with 20%–60% of these proteins being differentially abundant between the two conditions. While we found that transporter proteins were upregulated in all species in planta , all other differentially abundant functions varied greatly between species, suggesting niche specialization in root-associated microbes. Indeed, in vitro assays confirmed that Curtobacterium pusillum likely degrades plant hemicellulose, Enterobacter ludwigii may benefit the plant by phosphate solubilization, and Herbaspirillum robiniae colonizes maize roots more effectively when both of its type VI secretion systems are functional. Together, our findings highlight both conserved and species-specific bacterial strategies for growth in the root environment and lay a foundation for future work investigating the mechanisms underlying plant-microbiota interactions. IMPORTANCE Bacteria that live on and around plant roots are important for plant growth and health; however, we still know relatively little about how individual bacterial species behave in this environment. In this study, we looked at seven bacterial species originally isolated from maize roots to understand how they change their metabolism and physiology when grown on the plant versus when grown under laboratory conditions. By doing this, we identified key strategies that bacteria use to survive and thrive in the root environment, including changes in nutrient uptake, metabolism, and secretion systems. We also substantiated some of these behaviors using lab experiments and bacterial mutants. Understanding these species-specific functions helps us learn how bacteria establish themselves on roots and interact with the plant. This knowledge is critical for future efforts to design effective microbial communities that improve crop performance and resilience.
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BibTeX
@article{garrell2026differential,
title = {{Differential proteomics of bacteria grown in vitro and in planta reveals functions used during growth on maize roots}},
author = {Anna-Katharina Garrell and John B. Cheadle and Nathan Crook and Gaurav Pal and Alecia N. Septer and Maggie R. Wagner and Ashley E. Beck and Manuel Kleiner},
journal = {mSystems},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1128/msystems.00371-26},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1128/msystems.00371-26},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Differential proteomics of bacteria grown in vitro and in planta reveals functions used during growth on maize roots
AU - Anna-Katharina Garrell
AU - John B. Cheadle
AU - Nathan Crook
AU - Gaurav Pal
AU - Alecia N. Septer
AU - Maggie R. Wagner
AU - Ashley E. Beck
AU - Manuel Kleiner
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/06
JO - mSystems
DO - 10.1128/msystems.00371-26
UR - https://doi.org/10.1128/msystems.00371-26
AB - Microbes are ubiquitous in the rhizosphere and play crucial roles in plant health; however, the metabolisms and physiologies of individual species in planta remain poorly understood. In this study, we examined microbial gene expression in response to the maize root environment for seven bacterial species originally isolated from maize roots. We grew each species individually, both in vitro in a minimal medium and in planta , and used differential proteomics to identify functions upregulated specifically when bacteria are grown on maize roots. We identified between 1,500 and 2,100 proteins from each species, with 20%–60% of these proteins being differentially abundant between the two conditions. While we found that transporter proteins were upregulated in all species in planta , all other differentially abundant functions varied greatly between species, suggesting niche specialization in root-associated microbes. Indeed, in vitro assays confirmed that Curtobacterium pusillum likely degrades plant hemicellulose, Enterobacter ludwigii may benefit the plant by phosphate solubilization, and Herbaspirillum robiniae colonizes maize roots more effectively when both of its type VI secretion systems are functional. Together, our findings highlight both conserved and species-specific bacterial strategies for growth in the root environment and lay a foundation for future work investigating the mechanisms underlying plant-microbiota interactions. IMPORTANCE Bacteria that live on and around plant roots are important for plant growth and health; however, we still know relatively little about how individual bacterial species behave in this environment. In this study, we looked at seven bacterial species originally isolated from maize roots to understand how they change their metabolism and physiology when grown on the plant versus when grown under laboratory conditions. By doing this, we identified key strategies that bacteria use to survive and thrive in the root environment, including changes in nutrient uptake, metabolism, and secretion systems. We also substantiated some of these behaviors using lab experiments and bacterial mutants. Understanding these species-specific functions helps us learn how bacteria establish themselves on roots and interact with the plant. This knowledge is critical for future efforts to design effective microbial communities that improve crop performance and resilience.
SN - 2379-5077
ER -