Coercion in the Evolution of Plant-Microbe Communication: A Perspective

Plants and microbes are dependent on chemical signals as a means of interkingdom communication. There are two predicted paths for the evolution of these signals. Ritualization is the oft-assumed pathway for the evolution of plant-microbe communication systems. In this process, chemical signals, which benefit both receiver and sender, evolve from chemical cues, which benefit only the receiver. However, plant-microbe signaling may evolve from coercive interactions as well, a process known as sensory manipulation. Here, we aim to highlight the prevalence of coercive interactions and discuss sensory manipulation in the context of plant-microbe interactions. We present two examples of stabilized coercion: microbial coercion of plants via the release of phytohormones and plant coercion of microbes via manipulation of quorum-sensing compounds. Furthermore, we provide an evolutionary framework for the emergence of signaling from coercive plant-microbe interactions through the process of sensory manipulation. We hope that researchers will recognize the relevance of coercive interactions in plant-microbe systems and consider sensory manipulation as a plausible evolutionary trajectory for the emergence of plant-microbe signaling.