Roots from distinct plant developmental stages are capable of rapidly selecting their own microbiome without the influence of environmental and soil edaphic factors

Soil microbes live in close association with plants and are crucial for plant health and fitness. Recent literature revealed that specific microbes were cultured at distinct developmental stages of Arabidopsis. It is not clear how fast the roots, depending on their developmental stage, can alter the root-associated microbiome. In this study, Arabidopsis, grown under sterile conditions at precisely distinct developmental stages were supplied with a soil microbial slurry. Within four days, roots selected specific microorganisms depending on plant development, and Proteobacteria among other bacterial groups were found to colonize the roots irrespective of developmental stage. Moreover, exposure to a microbiome resulted in modulation of phytohormone levels at different stages of Arabidopsis.