Bacillus amyloliquefaciens LZN01 shows antagonistic behaviour against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum (Fon). This study aimed to analyze the antifungal activity and the functional components of cell-free supernatant from B. amyloliquefaciens LZN01 that inhibited Fon growth. The results showed that the cell-free supernatant (CFS) from the death phase had stronger antifungal activity against Fon compared to those from the exponential stage and stationary phase. The analyses from scanning and transmission electron microscopy demonstrated that treatment with CFS led to cellular morphological changes, including concave formations on the conidial surface, the disruption of cell walls and membranes, the leakage of intracellular contents and the aggregation of organelles. Confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed that the CFS damaged membrane integrity. Myriocin, sphingofungin E, sphingofungin F, 3-methyl-2-oxovaleric acid, gabapentin and sphingofungin C were confirmed as the major differential metabolites by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-LTQ orbitrap (UHPLC-LTQ Orbitrap) MS analysis. Quantitative analysis showed that the myriocin content in the CFS was 0.6 μg/mL, and its minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was 1.25 μg/mL. It can be speculated that some antifungal compounds in the CFS, including myriocin, sphingofungin E, sphingofungin F and sphingofungin C, play major roles in inhibiting the growth of Fon and the synergistic effects among these antifungal compounds are important in suppressing Fon reproduction. This study suggests that B. amyloliquefaciens LZN01 is a promising biological agent against Fon as its CFS exerts antifungal activity by deforming conidial structures and damaging membranes and myriocin was one of the major functional components of the CFS.

Elucidation of the underlying mechanisms of plant growth promotion of rhizobacteria is very important. This study explored the mechanism by which Bacillus pumilus LZP02 promotes growth in rice roots through proteomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic techniques. The results showed that B. pumilus LZP02 promoted the absorption of phosphorous, calcium, and magnesium ions by colonization of rice roots and enhanced peroxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and Ca²⁺Mg²⁺ adenosine triphosphatase activities and chlorophyll contents in rice. The proteomic results showed that most of the differentially expressed proteins were involved in carbohydrate metabolism and that the biosynthesis of other secondary metabolites was also increased. According to RNA-seq and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analyses, expression of some genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis was upregulated in rice roots. Regarding metabolomics, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, starch and sucrose metabolism, the pentose phosphate pathway, and glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism were increased. The results indicated that B. pumilus LZP02 promoted the growth of rice roots by enhancing carbohydrate metabolism and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis.

In a previous study, the mechanism by which citric acid in rice root exudates enhanced the colonization of Bacillus altitudinis LZP02 was discovered. The present study verified that citric acid increased the recruitment and rice growth-promoting ability of B. altitudinis LZP02.

Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) is well known as a high-priority pollutant. This study explored the impacts of DBP on the metabolic pathways of microbes in black soils in the short term (20 days). The results showed that the microbial communities were changed in black soils with DBP. In nitrogen cycling, the abundances of the genes were elevated by DBP. DBP contamination facilitated 3′-phosphoadenosine-5′-phosphosulfate (PAPS) formation, and the gene flux of sulfate metabolism was increased. The total abundances of ABC transporters and the gene abundances of the monosaccharide-transporting ATPasesMalKandMsmKwere increased by DBP. The total abundance of two-component system (TCS) genes and the gene abundances of malate dehydrogenase, histidine kinase and citryl-CoA lyase were increased after DBP contamination. The total abundance of phosphotransferase system (PTS) genes and the gene abundances of phosphotransferase,CrrandBglFwere raised by DBP. The increased gene abundances of ABC transporters, TCS and PTS could be the reasons for the acceleration of nitrogen, carbon and sulfate metabolism. The degrading-genes of DBP were increased markedly in soil exposed to DBP. In summary, DBP contamination altered the microbial community and enhanced the gene abundances of the carbon, nitrogen and sulfur metabolism in black soils in the short term.

The growth of watermelon is often threatened by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum (Fon) in successively monocultured soil, which results in economic loss. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of D123 wheat as a companion crop on soil enzyme activities, microbial biomass and microbial communities in the rhizosphere of watermelon and to explore the relationship between the effect and the incidence of wilt caused by Fon. The results showed that the activities of soil polyphenol oxidase, urease and invertase were increased, the microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) and microbial biomass phosphorus (MBP) were significantly increased, and the ratio of MBC/MBN was decreased (P<0.05). Real-time PCR analysis showed that the Fon population declined significantly in the watermelon/wheat companion system compared with the monoculture system (P<0.05). The analysis of microbial communities showed that the relative abundance of microbial communities was changed in the rhizosphere of watermelon. Compared with the monoculture system, the relative abundances of Alphaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes and Sordariomycetes were increased, and the relative abundances of Gammaproteobacteria, Sphingobacteria, Cytophagia, Pezizomycetes, and Eurotiomycetes were decreased in the rhizosphere of watermelon in the watermelon/wheat companion system; importantly, the incidence of Fusarium wilt was also decreased in the watermelon/wheat companion system. In conclusion, this study indicated that D123 wheat as a companion crop increased soil enzyme activities and microbial biomass, decreased the Fon population, and changed the relative abundance of microbial communities in the rhizosphere of watermelon, which may be related to the reduction of Fusarium wilt in the watermelon/wheat companion system.