AUTHOR=Ng Charles Wang Wai , Yan Wen Hui , Xia Yi Teng , Tsim Karl Wah Keung , To Justin Chun Ting 

TITLE=Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria enhance active ingredient accumulation in medicinal plants at elevated CO2 and are associated with indigenous microbiome

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1426893

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2024.1426893

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p>Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and elevated CO<sub>2</sub> (eCO<sub>2</sub>) have demonstrated their individual potential to enhance plant yield and quality through close interaction with rhizosphere microorganisms and plant growth. However, the efficacy of PGPR under eCO<sub>2</sub> on rhizosphere microbiome and, ultimately, plant yield and active ingredient accumulation are not yet fully understood.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>This study investigated how the medicinal plant <italic>Pseudostellaria heterophylla</italic> (<italic>P. heterophylla</italic>) and its rhizosphere microbes respond to PGPR (<italic>Bacillus subtilis</italic> and <italic>Pseudomonas fluorescens</italic>) at eCO<sub>2</sub> (1,000 ppm).</p></sec><sec><title>Results and Discussion</title><p>It was found that the yield and active ingredient polysaccharides accumulation in the tuber of <italic>P. heterophylla</italic> were significantly increased by 38 and 253%, respectively. This promotion has been associated with increased root development and changes in the indigenous microbial community. Metagenomics analysis revealed a significant reduction in pathogenic <italic>Fusarium</italic> abundance in the rhizosphere. Potential biocontrol bacteria <italic>Actinobacteria</italic> and <italic>Proteobacteria</italic> were enriched, especially the genera <italic>Bradyrhizobium</italic> and <italic>Rhodanobacter</italic>. The reshaping of the rhizosphere microbiome was accompanied by the upregulation of biological pathways related to metabolite biosynthesis in the rhizosphere. These modifications were related to the promotion of the growth and productivity of <italic>P. heterophylla</italic>. Our findings highlighted the significant role played by PGPR in medicinal plant yield and active ingredient accumulation when exposed to eCO<sub>2</sub>.</p></sec>