AUTHOR=Wang Can , Zhang Yinghua , Wang Shaoxiang , Lv Xia , Xu Junqiang , Zhang Xueting , Yang Qing , Meng Fanlai , Xu Bin 

TITLE=Differential effects of domesticated and wild Capsicum frutescens L. on microbial community assembly and metabolic functions in rhizosphere soil

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1383526

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2024.1383526

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<sec id="sec1"><title>Objective</title><p>Rhizosphere microorganisms play crucial roles in the growth and development of plants, disease resistance, and environmental adaptability. As the only wild pepper variety resource in China, domesticated <italic>Capsicum frutescens</italic> Linn. (Xiaomila) exhibits varying beneficial traits and affects rhizosphere microbial composition compared with its wild counterparts. In this study, we aimed to identify specific rhizosphere microbiome and metabolism patterns established during the domestication process.</p></sec><sec id="sec2"><title>Methods</title><p>The rhizosphere microbial diversity and composition of domesticated and wild <italic>C. frutescens</italic> were detected and analyzed by metagenomics. Non-targeted metabolomics were used to explore the differences of metabolites in rhizosphere soil between wild and domesticated <italic>C. frutescens</italic>.</p></sec><sec id="sec3"><title>Results</title><p>We found that the rhizosphere microbial diversity of domesticated variety was significantly different from that of the wild variety, with <italic>Massilia</italic> being its dominant bacteria. However, the abundance of certain beneficial microbes such as <italic>Gemmatimonas, Streptomyces, Rambibacter,</italic> and <italic>Lysobacter</italic> decreased significantly. The main metabolites identified in the wild variety included serylthreonine, deoxyloganic acid, vitamin C, among others. In contrast, those identified in the domesticated group were 4-hydroxy-<sc>l</sc>-glutamic acid and benzoic acid. Furthermore, the differentially enriched pathways were concentrated in tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis, histidine and purine-derived alkaloids biosynthesis, benzoic acid family, two-component system, etc.</p></sec><sec id="sec4"><title>Conclusion</title><p>This study revealed that <italic>C. frutescens</italic> established specific rhizosphere microbiota and metabolites during domestication, which has important significance for the efficient utilization of beneficial microorganisms in breeding and cultivation practices.</p></sec>