Alleviating Overgrazing Stress and Promoting Grassland Plant Regeneration via Root Exudate-Mediated Recruitment of Beneficial Bacteria

Overgrazing (OG) is an important driver of grassland ecosystem degradation and productivity decline. Plants may effectively cope with OG stress by regulating their synergistic interactions with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) through root exudates. However, the synergistic regulatory mec...

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Main Authors: Ting Yuan, Jiatao Zhang, Shaohong Zhang, Shuang Liang, Changhong Zhu, Weibo Ren, Jialu Liang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Microorganisms
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/6/1225
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author Ting Yuan
Jiatao Zhang
Shaohong Zhang
Shuang Liang
Changhong Zhu
Weibo Ren
Jialu Liang
author_facet Ting Yuan
Jiatao Zhang
Shaohong Zhang
Shuang Liang
Changhong Zhu
Weibo Ren
Jialu Liang
author_sort Ting Yuan
collection DOAJ
description Overgrazing (OG) is an important driver of grassland ecosystem degradation and productivity decline. Plants may effectively cope with OG stress by regulating their synergistic interactions with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) through root exudates. However, the synergistic regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. Under OG stress, <i>Leymus chinensis</i> recruited the specific PGPR strain <i>Paraburkholderia graminis</i> (B24) by regulating specific root exudate compounds, including amino acids, alkaloids, and organic acids, which enhance B24 chemotaxis and biofilm formation. The B24 inoculation systematically regulated the transcription of key plant growth and development genes, including those involved in nutrient transport and cell wall expansion, which enhanced nutrient uptake and promoted the overall growth of <i>L. chinensis</i>. Furthermore, B24 regulated the homeostasis of endogenous <i>L. chinensis</i> through the synergistic effects of hormones and the trade-off between growth and defense. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses revealed that B24 regulation enhanced carbon and nitrogen metabolism, and energy supply after mowing, forming a holistic adaptive mechanism that enabled <i>L. chinensis</i> to effectively recover from mowing-induced stress, thereby improving its adaptability and regenerative capacity. This study provides a scientific basis and support for elucidating the response mechanisms of how grassland plants cope with OG stress, optimizing grassland management, and rapidly restoring and enhancing grassland productivity.
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spelling doaj-art-3c714d04bd634a2d9bfe6fa5467ccf0a2025-08-20T02:21:10ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072025-05-01136122510.3390/microorganisms13061225Alleviating Overgrazing Stress and Promoting Grassland Plant Regeneration via Root Exudate-Mediated Recruitment of Beneficial BacteriaTing Yuan0Jiatao Zhang1Shaohong Zhang2Shuang Liang3Changhong Zhu4Weibo Ren5Jialu Liang6Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, and the Candidate State Key Laboratory of Ministry of Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010010, ChinaInner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, and the Candidate State Key Laboratory of Ministry of Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010010, ChinaInner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, and the Candidate State Key Laboratory of Ministry of Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010010, ChinaInner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, and the Candidate State Key Laboratory of Ministry of Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010010, ChinaNational Center of Pratacultural Technology Innovation, Hohhot 010070, ChinaInner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, and the Candidate State Key Laboratory of Ministry of Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010010, ChinaInner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, and the Candidate State Key Laboratory of Ministry of Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010010, ChinaOvergrazing (OG) is an important driver of grassland ecosystem degradation and productivity decline. Plants may effectively cope with OG stress by regulating their synergistic interactions with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) through root exudates. However, the synergistic regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. Under OG stress, <i>Leymus chinensis</i> recruited the specific PGPR strain <i>Paraburkholderia graminis</i> (B24) by regulating specific root exudate compounds, including amino acids, alkaloids, and organic acids, which enhance B24 chemotaxis and biofilm formation. The B24 inoculation systematically regulated the transcription of key plant growth and development genes, including those involved in nutrient transport and cell wall expansion, which enhanced nutrient uptake and promoted the overall growth of <i>L. chinensis</i>. Furthermore, B24 regulated the homeostasis of endogenous <i>L. chinensis</i> through the synergistic effects of hormones and the trade-off between growth and defense. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses revealed that B24 regulation enhanced carbon and nitrogen metabolism, and energy supply after mowing, forming a holistic adaptive mechanism that enabled <i>L. chinensis</i> to effectively recover from mowing-induced stress, thereby improving its adaptability and regenerative capacity. This study provides a scientific basis and support for elucidating the response mechanisms of how grassland plants cope with OG stress, optimizing grassland management, and rapidly restoring and enhancing grassland productivity.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/6/1225overgrazing<i>Leymus chinensis</i>plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPR)<i>Paraburkholderia graminis</i>root exudatemulti-omics analysis
spellingShingle Ting Yuan
Jiatao Zhang
Shaohong Zhang
Shuang Liang
Changhong Zhu
Weibo Ren
Jialu Liang
Alleviating Overgrazing Stress and Promoting Grassland Plant Regeneration via Root Exudate-Mediated Recruitment of Beneficial Bacteria
Microorganisms
overgrazing
<i>Leymus chinensis</i>
plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPR)
<i>Paraburkholderia graminis</i>
root exudate
multi-omics analysis
title Alleviating Overgrazing Stress and Promoting Grassland Plant Regeneration via Root Exudate-Mediated Recruitment of Beneficial Bacteria
title_full Alleviating Overgrazing Stress and Promoting Grassland Plant Regeneration via Root Exudate-Mediated Recruitment of Beneficial Bacteria
title_fullStr Alleviating Overgrazing Stress and Promoting Grassland Plant Regeneration via Root Exudate-Mediated Recruitment of Beneficial Bacteria
title_full_unstemmed Alleviating Overgrazing Stress and Promoting Grassland Plant Regeneration via Root Exudate-Mediated Recruitment of Beneficial Bacteria
title_short Alleviating Overgrazing Stress and Promoting Grassland Plant Regeneration via Root Exudate-Mediated Recruitment of Beneficial Bacteria
title_sort alleviating overgrazing stress and promoting grassland plant regeneration via root exudate mediated recruitment of beneficial bacteria
topic overgrazing
<i>Leymus chinensis</i>
plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPR)
<i>Paraburkholderia graminis</i>
root exudate
multi-omics analysis
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/6/1225
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