Plant-Microbes’ Interactions and their Roles in Bioremediation: A Case Study of Phragmites australis in Acid Mine Condition

Abstract

The interactions between plants and microbial communities are vital in shaping the dynamism of a particular ecosystem toward ecological sustainability. In an acid mine drainage (AMD) system characterized by the abundance of heavy metals and physicochemical parameters, the survival of plants could be limited. Hence, plants surviving in such environmental conditions tend to develop a particular microsystem that promotes their growth. Plant-microbes interaction is among the systems that most plants develop to enhance their ability to withstand the toxicity of heavy metals and possibly grow. The common reed (CR), Phragmites australis, an invasive weed, has been found to withstand the toxicity of heavy metals and survive in AMD environments. In addition, the association between CR and the microbial communities at the rhizosphere level plays a crucial role in the growth of CR by reducing the toxicity of the heavy metals. These interactions culminate in the release of diverse metabolites by the plant and microbial communities controlled by specific genes. This review collated information on the different microbial communities associated with CR and the metabolites released to promote the growth of CR and enhance their remediation potential. Although the interactions were under the influence of secreted metabolites, a gap still existed in elucidating the specific metabolites secreted either by the microbes or the CR. Further study is recommended that could cut across interdisciplinary approaches, including molecular docking, to enhance the elucidation of diverse metabolites from the microbes and CR.