Coptischinensis Franch root rot infection disrupts microecological balance of rhizosphere soil and endophytic microbiomes

Tao Tang; Fanfan Wang; Guobin Fang; Ting Mao; Jie Guo; Hui Kuang; Guangzhong Sun; Xiaoliang Guo; Yuanyuan Duan; Jingmao You

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2023.1180368

Coptischinensis Franch root rot infection disrupts microecological balance of rhizosphere soil and endophytic microbiomes

Front Microbiol. 2023 May 25:14:1180368. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1180368. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Tao Tang^{1

2}, Fanfan Wang^{1

2}, Guobin Fang³, Ting Mao¹, Jie Guo^{1

2}, Hui Kuang³, Guangzhong Sun³, Xiaoliang Guo¹, Yuanyuan Duan², Jingmao You^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Chinese Herbal Medicine Biology and Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Science, Enshi, China.
² Hubei Engineering Research Center of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Production for Chinese Herbal Medicines, Institute of Chinese Herbal Medicines, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Enshi, China.
³ Hubei Provincial Plant Protection Station, Wuhan, China.

Abstract

Introduction: The ecological balance of the plant microbiome, as a barrier against pathogens, is very important for host health. Coptis chinensis is one of the important medicinal plants in China. In recent years, Illumina Miseq high-throughput sequencing technology was frequently used to analyze root rot pathogens and the effects of root rot on rhizosphere microorganisms of C. chinensis. But the effects of root rot infection on rhizosphere microecological balance of C. chinensis have received little attention.

Methods: In this study, Illumina Miseq high-throughput sequencing technology was applied to analyze the impact on microbial composition and diversity of C. chinensis by root rot.

Results: The results showed that root rot infection had significant impact on bacterial α-diversity in rhizome samples, but had no significant effect on that in leaf samples and rhizosphere soil samples, while root rot infection exhibited significant impact on the fungal α-diversity in leaf samples and rhizosphere soil samples, and no significant impact on that in rhizome samples. PCoA analysis showed that the root rot infection had a greater impact on the fungal community structure in the rhizosphere soil, rhizome, and leaf samples of C. chinensis than on the bacterial community structure. Root rot infection destroyed the microecological balance of the original microbiomes in the rhizosphere soil, rhizome, and leaf samples of C. chinensis, which may also be one of the reasons for the serious root rot of C. chinensis.

Discussion: In conclusion, our findings suggested that root rot infection with C. chinensis disrupts microecological balance of rhizosphere soil and endophytic microbiomes. The results of this study can provide theoretical basis for the prevention and control of C. chinensis root rot by microecological regulation.

Keywords: Coptis chinensis; microecological balance; microecological regulation; rhizosphere soil and endophytic microbiomes; soil physicochemical factors.