Volatile methyl jasmonate from roots triggers host-beneficial soil microbiome biofilms

Abstract The rhizosphere is a niche surrounding plant roots, where soluble and volatile molecules mediate signaling between plants and the associated microbiota. The preferred lifestyle of soil microorganisms is in the form of biofilms. However, less is known about whether root volatile organic compounds (rVOCs) can influence soil biofilms beyond the 2–10 mm rhizosphere zone influenced by root exudates. We report that rVOCs shift the microbiome composition and growth dynamics of complex soil biofilms. This signaling is evolutionarily conserved from ferns to higher plants. Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) is a bioactive signal of rVOCs that rapidly triggers both biofilm and microbiome changes. In contrast to the planktonic community, the resulting biofilm community provides ecological benefits to the host from a distance via growth enhancement. Thus, a volatile host defense signal, MeJA, is co-opted for assembling host-beneficial biofilms in the soil microbiota and extending the sphere of host influence in the rhizosphere.