A multi-omics meta-analysis of rhizosphere microbiome reveals
growth-promoting marker bacteria at different stages of legume
development
Abstract
Plant-microbe interactions have been studied extensively in legumes, but
the influence of host developmental stages on its microbiome remains
poorly understood. The rhizospheric region enriched with microbial
diversity presents an optimal environment to investigate this
relationship. We employed a multi-omics meta-analysis approach to
identify the rhizospheric bacteria co-existing with legumes at different
developmental stages. The data from eight different legume species
across various geographical locations, soil conditions and developmental
stages (vegetative, reproductive and maturation) were included in the
study. A total of 10 marker bacteria were identified across vegetative,
reproductive and maturation stages, with most of them known for their
role in plant growth promotion. The functional profiling further
elucidated the expression of these marker bacteria genes, indicating the
active presence of marker bacteria. Co-expression network analysis
revealed the involvement of gene clusters in biological processes such
as cobalt and nitrogen metabolism. Furthermore, pathway enrichment
analysis illustrated the role of these bacteria in plant metabolic
pathways such as biosynthesis of various plant secondary metabolites,
biotin metabolism and carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms. Our
study identified a positive relationship between the marker bacteria and
the host plant, suggesting their crucial role in legume growth and
development that could further aid in the advancement of strategies to
improve crop yield.