论文题目：Diversity-triggered 2-naphthoic acid exudationrecruits keystone microbial taxa to promotesoybean drought tolerance
论文作者：Shi Chen, Yang Wang, Beibei Chen, Xinyi Hou, Siyu Liu, Sihan He, Jiejun Qi, Ziheng Peng, Haibo Pan, Chunling Liang, Gehong Wei, Shuo Jiao
论文摘要：Rhizosphere microbiomes are essential for plant growth and stress tolerance, yet how microbial diversity shapes drought resilience in soybean remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that high rhizosphere microbial diversity, generated via dilution-to-extinction manipulation of soil microbiome diversity, improves soybean performance under drought. Integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses identify 2-naphthoic acid as a diversity-induced root exudate that accumulates exclusively under drought. This metabolite selectively recruits Sinorhizobium CS204 via chemotaxis and ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter-mediated uptake, as confirmed by in vitro substrate utilization assays and targeted mutant construction. Molecular docking and microscale thermophoresis reveal direct interactions between this metabolite and nitrogen-cycling proteins, enhancing denitrification and nitrogen fixation of S.CS204. Co-application of 2-naphthoic acid and S.CS204 significantly improves plant nutrient acquisition and photosynthesis under drought. Collectively, our study underscores the pivotal role of rhizosphere microbial diversity in triggering the exudation of root metabolites to recruit keystone taxa, establishing microbe-plant synergies that bolster drought tolerance.
根际微生物对植物生长和抗逆性至关重要，然而微生物多样性如何塑造大豆的抗旱能力尚不明确。本研究通过稀释灭绝法构建了土壤微生物多样性梯度，发现高微生物多样性显著提高了大豆在干旱胁迫下的生长表现。整合代谢组学与转录组学分析发现，高微生物多样性特异性诱导根系分泌2-萘甲酸。体外底物利用与突变体验证实验表明，该代谢物选择性招募关键微生物类群——中华根瘤菌（Sinorhizobium CS204）。分子对接结合微量热泳动实验揭示了该代谢物与氮循环蛋白之间的直接相互作用，从而增强S.CS204的反硝化作用和固氮能力。2-萘甲酸与S.CS204联合施用可显著改善干旱条件下植物的养分吸收和光合作用。综上，本研究揭示了根际微生物多样性通过触发根系代谢物分泌、招募关键功能类群并建立微生物-植物协同增效机制，进而提升作物抗旱能力的重要作用。
论文链接：https://www.cell.com/cell-host-microbe/fulltext/S1931-3128(26)00089-2