Plant holobiont interactions mediated by the type VI secretion system and the membrane vesicles: promising tools for a greener agriculture

Abstract

A deeper understanding of the complex relationship between plants and their microbiota is allowing researchers to appreciate a plethora of possibilities to improve crops using chemical-free alternatives based on beneficial microorganisms. An increase in crop yield from the promotion of plant growth or even simultaneous protection of the plants from the attack of phytopathogens can be achieved in the presence of different plant-associated microorganisms known as plant-growthpromoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and biocontrol agents (BCAs), respectively. Thus, the study of the great diversity of plant-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions is an attention-grabbing topic covering studies of interactions since the plant seed and through all developmental stages, from root to shoot. The intricate communication systems that plant holobionts co-evolved has resulted in many different strategies and interplays between these organisms shaping the bacterial communities and the plant fitness simultaneously. Herein, we emphasize two understudied delivery systems existing in plant-associated bacteria: the type VI secretion system (T6SS) and the membrane vesicles with a huge potential to boost a highly demanded and necessary green agriculture.