Microbial-assisted phytoremediation is considered a more effective approach to soil rehabilitation than the sole use of plants. Mycolicibacterium sp. Pb113 and Chitinophaga sp. Zn19, heavy-metal-resistant PGPR strains originally isolated from the rhizosphere of Miscanthus × giganteus, were used as inoculants of the host plant grown in control and zinc-contaminated (1650 mg/kg) soil in a 4-month pot experiment. The diversity and taxonomic structure of the rhizosphere microbiomes, assessed with metagenomic analysis of rhizosphere samples for the 16S rRNA gene, were studied. Principal coordinate analysis showed differences in the formation of the microbiomes, which was affected by zinc rather than by the inoculants. Bacterial taxa affected by zinc and the inoculants, and the taxa potentially involved in the promotion of plant growth as well as in assisted phytoremediation, were identified. Both inoculants promoted miscanthus growth, but only Chitinophaga sp. Zn19 contributed to significant Zn accumulation in the aboveground part of the plant. In this study, the positive effect of miscanthus inoculation with Mycolicibacterium spp. and Chitinophaga spp. was demonstrated for the first time. On the basis of our data, the bacterial strains studied may be recommended to improve the efficiency of M. × giganteus phytoremediation of zinc-contaminated soil.

Pollutant degradation and heavy-metal resistance may be important features of the rhizobia, making them promising agents for environment cleanup biotechnology. The degradation of phenanthrene, a three-ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), by the rhizobial strain Rsf11 isolated from the oil-polluted rhizosphere of alfalfa and the influence of nickel ions on this process were studied. On the basis of whole-genome and polyphasic taxonomy, the bacterium Rsf11 represent a novel species of the genus Neorhizobium, so the name Neorhizobium phenanthreniclasticum sp. nov. was proposed. Analysis of phenanthrene degradation by the Rsf1 strain revealed 1-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid as the key intermediate and the activity of two enzymes apparently involved in PAH degradation. It was also shown that the nickel resistance of Rsf11 was connected with the extracellular adsorption of metal by EPS. The joint presence of phenanthrene and nickel in the medium reduced the degradation of PAH by the microorganism, apparently due to the inhibition of microbial growth but not due to the inhibition of the activity of the PAH degradation enzymes. Genes potentially involved in PAH catabolism and nickel resistance were discovered in the microorganism studied. N. phenanthreniclasticum strain Rsf11 can be considered as a promising candidate for use in the bioremediation of mixed PAH–heavy-metal contamination.

Soil contamination in industrial areas often involves complex mixtures of contaminants, making remediation a significant challenge. Microbe-assisted phytoremediation offers a promising solution, yet its success depends on understanding interaction between plants, microorganisms, and contaminants in rhizosphere. This study examined the effects of organic (oil sludge) and inorganic (Zn) contaminants, applied individually and in combination, on the rhizosphere bacterial community of Miscanthus × giganteus Greef et Deu (M×g), with emphasis on strains exhibiting plant growth-promoting, hydrocarbon-degrading, and metal-tolerant traits. A one-season greenhouse experiment included soils spiked with Zn (1650 mg kg⁻¹) and/or oil sludge (15 mL kg⁻¹). Oil sludge exerted a stronger influence on the taxonomic structure of rhizobacterial communities than Zn, largely shaping the patterns observed under co-contamination. Zn exposure increased the relative abundance of Actinobacteriota, whereas oil sludge favoured Proteobacteriota. Both contaminants, individually and together, enhanced the proportion of Sphingomonadaceae. Across all treatments, taxa with potential plant-growth-promoting traits were present, while co-contaminated soil harboured microorganisms capable of hydrocarbon degradation, heavy metal tolerance, and plant growth promotion. These findings highlight the adaptive capacity of the M×g rhizobiome and support its application in phytoremediation. The isolation and characterisation of rhizosphere-associated strains provide basis for developing microbial bioagents to enhance biomass production and remediation efficiency in multi-contaminated environments.

The effect of the cadmium-resistant rhizobacterium Bacillus sp. Sn14 on the physiological and biochemical parameters of Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench. under cadmium stress was studied. We assessed the effects of heavy metal and bacterization on dry biomass production, photosynthetic pigment content, plant antioxidant enzyme activity (catalase, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione-S-transferase), and cadmium accumulation in sorghum plants. The effect of cadmium was manifested by the inhibition of plant growth, decrease in the content of photosynthetic pigments, and increase in the protein content and activity of antioxidant enzymes in shoots, but not in roots. Bacterization of plants with the Bacillus sp. Sn14 strain contributed to overcoming cadmium stress by the plant: an increase in sorghum root biomass, protein, and photosynthetic pigments content was observed. The rhizobacterium Bacillus sp. Sn14 enhanced the phytoaccumulation of cadmium, increasing its translocation from roots to shoots by 63%, which led to an increase in the purification of soil by bacterized plants up to 31% compared to non-bacterized plants (9%). Thus, the use of the Bacillus sp. Sn14 strain to reduce the phytotoxic effect of cadmium and enhance its phytoaccumulation by sorghum was demonstrated.

In a laboratory pot experiment, two mutant cultivars of sunflower (Helianthus annuus cv. r2p2 and Helianthus annuus cv. r5n1) were grown on soils with anthropogenic polyelemental anomalies and on a background control soil, and a comparative analysis of their rhizospheric microflora was carried out. The numbers of soil bacteria, actinomycetes and micromycetes, as well as the numbers of rhizospheric microorganisms resistant to Zn2+, Pb2+, and Cu2+ ions were estimated in the rhizosphere of sunflower cultivars. Quantitative changes in the sunflower rhizospheric microboceno-ses, formed under the influence of both the plant genotype and technogenic soil pollution, were revealed. A pronounced stimulation of the rhizospheric microorganisms of all groups studied was found when plants were cultivated on the technogenically contaminated soil from PJSC Kosogorsk Metallurgical Plant. In this case, cultivar differences were observed, namely: the maximal number of bacteria and actinomycetes was revealed in the rhizosphere of H. annuus cv. r2p2, whilst the maximal number of micromycetes was revealed in the rhizosphere of H. annuus cv. r5n1. An increased number of microorganisms resistant to lead ions was revealed in the rhizosphere of H. annuus cv. r2p2. The observed changes in the structure of rhizospheric microbial communities of the sunflower cultivars manifested in the stimulation of the growth and activity of soil microflora can be in demand for phytoremediation of technogenically contaminated soil.

The majority of studies of fungal utilization of chitosan are associated with the production of a specific enzyme, chitosanase, which catalyzes the hydrolytic cleavage of the macrochain. In our opinion, the development of approaches to obtaining materials with new functional properties based on non-destructive chitosan transformation by living organisms and their enzyme systems is promising. This study was conducted using a wide range of classical and modern methods of microbiology, biochemistry, and physical chemistry. The ability of the ascomycete Fusarium oxysporum Schltdl. to modify films of chitosan with average-viscosity molecular weights of 200, 450, and 530 kDa was discovered. F. oxysporum was shown to use chitosan as the sole source of carbon/energy and actively overgrew films without deformations and signs of integrity loss. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) recorded an increase in the porosity of film substrates. An analysis of the FTIR spectra revealed the occurrence of oxidation processes and crosslinking of macrochains without breaking β-(1,4)-glycosidic bonds. After F. oxysporum growth, the resistance of the films to mechanical dispersion and the degree of ordering of the polymer structure increased, while their solubility in the acetate buffer with pH 4.4 and sorption capacity for Fe²⁺ and Cu²⁺ decreased. Elemental analysis revealed a decrease in the nitrogen content in chitosan, which may indicate its inclusion into the fungal metabolism. The film transformation was accompanied by the production of extracellular hydrolase (different from chitosanase) and peroxidase, as well as biosurfactants. The results obtained indicate a specific mechanism of aminopolysaccharide transformation by F. oxysporum. Although the biochemical mechanisms of action remain to be analyzed in detail, the results obtained create new ways of using fungi and show the potential for the use of Fusarium and/or its extracellular enzymes for the formation of chitosan-containing materials with the required range of functional properties and qualities for biotechnological applications.