The rhizosphere microbiome and its influence on the accumulation of metabolites in Bletilla striata (Thunb.) Reichb. f

Background Bletilla striata (Thunb.) Reichb. f. (B. striata) is a perennial herbaceous plant in the Orchidaceae family known for its diverse pharmacological activities, such as promoting wound healing, hemostasis, anti-inflammatory effects, antioxidant properties, and immune regulation. Nevertheless, the microbe-plant-metabolite regulation patterns for B. striata remain largely undetermined, especially in the field of rhizosphere microbes. To elucidate the interrelationships between soil physics and chemistry and rhizosphere microbes and metabolites, a comprehensive approach combining metagenome analysis and targeted metabolomics was employed to investigate the rhizosphere soil and tubers from four provinces and eight production areas in China. Results Our study reveals that the core rhizosphere microbiome of B. striata is predominantly comprised of Paraburkholderia, Methylibium, Bradyrhizobium, Chitinophaga, and Mycobacterium. These microbial species are recognized as potentially beneficial for plants health. Comprehensive analysis revealed a significant association between the accumulation of metabolites, such as militarine and polysaccharides in B. striata and the composition of rhizosphere microbes at the genus level. Furthermore, we found that the soil environment indirectly influenced the metabolite profile of B. striata by affecting the composition of rhizosphere microbes. Notably, our research identifies soil organic carbon as a primary driving factor influencing metabolite accumulation in B. striata. Conclusion Our fndings contribute to an enhanced understanding of the comprehensive regulatory mechanism involving microbe-plant-metabolite interactions. This research provides a theoretical basis for the cultivation of high-quality traditional Chinese medicine B. striata.