Root Metabolic Responses to Drought Drive Plant-Microbe Interactions in the Rhizosphere

Due to climate change, droughts are expected to increase in frequency and duration, particularly in tropical rainforests, yet, the impact on root-microbe interactions is not fully understood. Here we examined rhizosphere communities of three plant species (Clitoria fairchildiana, Piper auritum, and Hibiscus rosa sinensis) during both pre-drought and drought conditions, which we then paired with metabolomics data. Our findings indicated that drought impacts root-microbe interactions in a plant root species-specific manner.