Narrow-spectrum resource-utilizing bacteria drive the stability of synthetic communities through enhancing metabolic interactions

Abstract The importance of synthetic microbial communities in agriculture is increasingly recognized, yet methods for constructing targeted communities using existing microbial resources remain limited. Here, six plant-beneficial bacterial strains with distinct functions and rhizosphere resource uti...

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Main Authors: Wei Wang, Yanwei Xia, Panpan Zhang, Mengqing Zhu, Shiyi Huang, Xinli Sun, Zhihui Xu, Nan Zhang, Weibing Xun, Qirong Shen, Youzhi Miao, Ruifu Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61432-7
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author Wei Wang
Yanwei Xia
Panpan Zhang
Mengqing Zhu
Shiyi Huang
Xinli Sun
Zhihui Xu
Nan Zhang
Weibing Xun
Qirong Shen
Youzhi Miao
Ruifu Zhang
author_facet Wei Wang
Yanwei Xia
Panpan Zhang
Mengqing Zhu
Shiyi Huang
Xinli Sun
Zhihui Xu
Nan Zhang
Weibing Xun
Qirong Shen
Youzhi Miao
Ruifu Zhang
author_sort Wei Wang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The importance of synthetic microbial communities in agriculture is increasingly recognized, yet methods for constructing targeted communities using existing microbial resources remain limited. Here, six plant-beneficial bacterial strains with distinct functions and rhizosphere resource utilization profiles are selected to construct stable, multifunctional communities for plant growth promotion. Metabolic modeling reveals that narrower resource utilization correlates with increased metabolic interaction potential and reduced metabolic resource overlap, contributing to greater community stability. Integrated analyses further consistently confirm the central roles of narrow-spectrum resource-utilizing strains, Cellulosimicrobium cellulans E and Pseudomonas stutzeri G, which form metabolic interaction networks via secretion of asparagine, vitamin B12, isoleucine, and their precursors or derivatives. Two synthetic communities, SynCom4 and SynCom5, have high stability in the tomato rhizosphere and increase plant dry weight by over 80%. Our study elucidates the relationship between resource utilization width and community stability, providing a rational strategy for designing stable, multifunctional microbial communities for specific habitats.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2041-1723
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Nature Communications
spelling doaj-art-5c019fd31d4e46de866ca34615b5b2e82025-08-20T04:01:41ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-07-0116111310.1038/s41467-025-61432-7Narrow-spectrum resource-utilizing bacteria drive the stability of synthetic communities through enhancing metabolic interactionsWei Wang0Yanwei Xia1Panpan Zhang2Mengqing Zhu3Shiyi Huang4Xinli Sun5Zhihui Xu6Nan Zhang7Weibing Xun8Qirong Shen9Youzhi Miao10Ruifu Zhang11Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityJiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityJiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityJiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityJiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityJiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityJiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityJiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityJiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityJiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityJiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityJiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityAbstract The importance of synthetic microbial communities in agriculture is increasingly recognized, yet methods for constructing targeted communities using existing microbial resources remain limited. Here, six plant-beneficial bacterial strains with distinct functions and rhizosphere resource utilization profiles are selected to construct stable, multifunctional communities for plant growth promotion. Metabolic modeling reveals that narrower resource utilization correlates with increased metabolic interaction potential and reduced metabolic resource overlap, contributing to greater community stability. Integrated analyses further consistently confirm the central roles of narrow-spectrum resource-utilizing strains, Cellulosimicrobium cellulans E and Pseudomonas stutzeri G, which form metabolic interaction networks via secretion of asparagine, vitamin B12, isoleucine, and their precursors or derivatives. Two synthetic communities, SynCom4 and SynCom5, have high stability in the tomato rhizosphere and increase plant dry weight by over 80%. Our study elucidates the relationship between resource utilization width and community stability, providing a rational strategy for designing stable, multifunctional microbial communities for specific habitats.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61432-7
spellingShingle Wei Wang
Yanwei Xia
Panpan Zhang
Mengqing Zhu
Shiyi Huang
Xinli Sun
Zhihui Xu
Nan Zhang
Weibing Xun
Qirong Shen
Youzhi Miao
Ruifu Zhang
Narrow-spectrum resource-utilizing bacteria drive the stability of synthetic communities through enhancing metabolic interactions
Nature Communications
title Narrow-spectrum resource-utilizing bacteria drive the stability of synthetic communities through enhancing metabolic interactions
title_full Narrow-spectrum resource-utilizing bacteria drive the stability of synthetic communities through enhancing metabolic interactions
title_fullStr Narrow-spectrum resource-utilizing bacteria drive the stability of synthetic communities through enhancing metabolic interactions
title_full_unstemmed Narrow-spectrum resource-utilizing bacteria drive the stability of synthetic communities through enhancing metabolic interactions
title_short Narrow-spectrum resource-utilizing bacteria drive the stability of synthetic communities through enhancing metabolic interactions
title_sort narrow spectrum resource utilizing bacteria drive the stability of synthetic communities through enhancing metabolic interactions
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61432-7
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