The plant beneficial rhizobacterium Achromobacter sp. 5B1 influences root development through auxin signaling and redistribution

Roots provide physical and nutritional support to plant organs that are above ground and play critical roles for adaptation via intricate movements and growth patterns. Through screening the effects of bacterial isolates from roots of halophyte Mesquite (Prosopissp.) onArabidopsis thaliana, we identifiedAchromobactersp. 5B1 as a probiotic bacterium that influences plant functional traits. Detailed genetic and architectural analyses in Arabidopsis grownin vitroand in soil, cell division measurements, auxin transport and response gene expression and brefeldin A treatments demonstrated that root colonization withAchromobactersp. 5B1 changes the growth and branching patterns of roots, which were related to auxin perception and redistribution. Expression analysis of auxin transport and signaling revealed a redistribution of auxin within the primary root tip of wild-type seedlings byAchromobactersp. 5B1 that is disrupted by brefeldin A and correlates with repression of auxin transporters PIN1 and PIN7 in root provasculature, and PIN2 in the epidermis and cortex of the root tip, whereas expression of PIN3 was enhanced in the columella. In seedlings harboringAUX1,EIR1,AXR1,ARF7ARF19,TIR1AFB2AFB3single, double or triple loss-of-function mutations, or in a dominant (gain-of-function) mutant ofSLR1, the bacterium caused primary roots to form supercoils that are devoid of lateral roots. The changes in growth and root architecture elicited by the bacterium helped Arabidopsis seedlings to resist salt stress better. Thus,Achromobactersp. 5B1 fine tunes both root movements and the auxin response, which may be important for plant growth and environmental adaptation.