Assessment of active bacteria metabolizing phenolic acids in the peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) rhizosphere

Phenolic acids can enhance the mycotoxin production and activities of hydrolytic enzymes related to pathogenicity of soilborne fungus Fusarium oxysporum. However, characteristics of phenolic acid-degrading bacteria have not been investigated. The objectives of this study were to isolate and characterize bacteria capable of growth on benzoic and vanillic acids as the sole carbon source in the peanut rhizosphere. Twenty-four bacteria were isolated, and the identification based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that pre-exposure to phenolic acids before sowing shifted the dominant culturable bacterial degraders from Arthrobacter to Burkholderia stabilis-like isolates. Both Arthrobacter and B. stabilis-like isolates catalysed the aromatic ring cleavage via the ortho pathway, and Arthrobacter isolates did not exhibit higher C12O enzyme activity than B. stabilis-like isolates. The culture filtrate of Fusarium sp. ACCC36194 caused a strong inhibition of Arthrobacter growth but not B. stabilis-like isolates. Additionally, Arthrobacter isolates responded differently to the culture filtrates of B. stabilis-like isolates. The Arthrobacter isolates produced higher indole acetic acid (IAA) levels than B. stabilis-like isolates, but B. stabilis-like isolates were also able to produce siderophores, solubilize mineral phosphate, and exert an antagonistic activity against peanut root rot pathogen Fusarium sp. ACCC36194. Results indicate that phenolic acids can shift their dominant culturable bacterial degraders from Arthrobacter to Burkholderia species in the peanut rhizosphere, and microbial interactions might lead to the reduction of culturable Arthrobacter. Furthermore, increasing bacterial populations metabolizing phenolic acids in monoculture fields might be a control strategy for soilborne diseases caused by Fusarium spp.