Jasmonic acid signalling and the plant holobiont

•The plant microbiome includes microbes that enhance plant growth and health.•Plant defence signalling mediated by jasmonic acid (JA) affects root microbiomes.•Root exudates mediate interactions between plants and the soil microbiome.•Root exudate profiles are shifted when JA signalling is altered.•JA signalling may be involved in the recruitment of soil beneficial microbes.

The plant holobiont - which is the plant and its associated microbiome - is increasingly viewed as an evolving entity. Some interacting microbes that compose the microbiome assist plants in combating pathogens and herbivorous insects. However, knowledge of the factors that influence the microbiome in the context of defence signalling pathways is still in its infancy. Recent research reported that changes in jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid signalling affects the root microbiome of Arabidopsis thaliana. This review aims to present the hypothesis that the JA pathway represents a novel mechanism for microbiome engineering for improved holobiont fitness in agricultural systems.