Microbial survival strategies in desiccated roots of Myrothamnus flabellifolia

These findings highlight microbial adaptive mechanisms to withstand extreme water loss. In contrast, the bacterial transcriptional response in hydrated roots was characterized by genes linked to peptidoglycan biosynthesis, sugar transporters, and chemotaxis. Taken together, our findings indicate that root-associated bacteria deploy defense mechanisms analogous to those of their host plant to adapt to extreme drought stress, highlighting their crucial role in plant resilience.