Synthetic microbe-to-plant communication channels

Alice Boo, Tyler Toth, Qiguo Yu, Alexander Pfotenhauer, Brandon D. Fields, Scott C. Lenaghan, C. Neal Stewart and Christopher A. Voigt ()
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Alice Boo: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Tyler Toth: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Qiguo Yu: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Alexander Pfotenhauer: University of Tennessee
Brandon D. Fields: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Scott C. Lenaghan: University of Tennessee
C. Neal Stewart: University of Tennessee
Christopher A. Voigt: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: Abstract Plants and microbes communicate to collaborate to stop pests, scavenge nutrients, and react to environmental change. Microbiota consisting of thousands of species interact with each other and plants using a large chemical language that is interpreted by complex regulatory networks. In this work, we develop modular interkingdom communication channels, enabling bacteria to convey environmental stimuli to plants. We introduce a “sender device” in Pseudomonas putida and Klebsiella pneumoniae, that produces the small molecule p-coumaroyl-homoserine lactone (pC-HSL) when the output of a sensor or circuit turns on. This molecule triggers a “receiver device” in the plant to activate gene expression. We validate this system in Arabidopsis thaliana and Solanum tuberosum (potato) grown hydroponically and in soil, demonstrating its modularity by swapping bacteria that process different stimuli, including IPTG, aTc and arsenic. Programmable communication channels between bacteria and plants will enable microbial sentinels to transmit information to crops and provide the building blocks for designing artificial consortia.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45897-6

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