Variety-Independent Contributions of Phenylpropanoid Metabolism in Roots: Modulating the Rhizosphere Microbiome
2025
Litao Sun | Jiazhi Shen | Shuning Zhang | Kai Fan | Wenjun Qian | Yu Wang | Yi Wang | Wei Li | Zhaotang Ding
The rhizosphere microbiome, a critical determinant of plant health and productivity, exhibits structure&ndash:activity relationships influenced by plant genotype. This study investigated how three tea varieties with distinct phenotypes&mdash:Zhongcha 108 (ZC, green leaves), Huangjinya (HJY, chlorophyll-deficient yellow leaves), and Zijuan (ZJ, anthocyanin-rich purple leaves)&mdash:modulate the rhizosphere microbiome by integrated metagenomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic analysis. Results revealed significant differences in rhizosphere bacterial diversity and composition among varieties, driven by differential abundances of Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria. HJY and ZJ exhibited higher bacterial richness and diversity compared to ZC. Root transcriptome profiling identified phenylpropanoid biosynthesis as a central pathway, with differentially expressed genes involved in flavonoid and lignin biosynthesis. Metabolite profiling highlighted varietal differences in root and rhizosphere organic acids and phenylpropanoid derivatives (e.g., hydroxycinnamyl aldehydes, sinapic acid), strongly correlating with microbial community structure. Functional metagenomics indicated that the carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism pathways in rhizosphere bacteria were influenced by root metabolites, further establishing phenylpropanoid partitioning as a keystone driver for microbial niche differentiation. These findings demonstrate that tea varieties shape rhizosphere microbiomes via genotype-specific phenylpropanoid metabolism, offering insights into targeted manipulation of plant&ndash:microbe interactions for enhancing tea plant development and tea quality.
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