Bacterial modification of the root cell wall facilitates rice aluminum resistance in acidic soils
The root cell wall is a pivotal microbial interface for crop stress resilience in adverse soils. While rhizosphere microorganisms influence root development through nutrient exchange and hormonal signaling, their role in remodeling the cell wall under aluminum toxicity in acidic soils remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that a synthetic microbial community (SynCom) enhances root tolerance to aluminum in rice by activating xyloglucan endotransglucosylase activity. This response reduces aluminum-binding sites within cell-wall xyloglucans, thereby decreasing aluminum accumulation by 47.5% in the root apoplast. SynCom promotes brassinosteroid biosynthesis through the mevalonate pathway. Multi-omics analyses and genetic evidence from xyloglucan endotransglucosylase- and brassinosteroid-deficient mutants reveal that SynCom serves as a metabolic contributor, supplying brassinosteroid precursors to the root apex. This microbial regulation establishes hormonal homeostasis and directs cell-wall remodeling to alleviate aluminum toxicity. Our findings propose a microbially enhanced strategy to improve crop resilience in acidic soils by reinforcing root stress adaptation.
Authors
- Jizhong Zhou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2014-0564)
- Ertao Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5178-3530)
- Ren Fang Shen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6474-8198)
- Meitong Jiang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4841-3122)
- Chaoyang Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-2724-8096)
- Thomas Ward Crowther (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5674-8913)
- Chao‐Feng Huang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1486-741X)
- Yuanhong Xie (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0862-6660)
- Guoqiang Huang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6103-5704)
- Mengting Yuan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0017-3908)
- Li Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7615-4976)
- Shuo Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6485-5281)
- Jiabao Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-6719-1544)
- Jixian Ding
- Yuting Liang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5443-4486)
- Yang Bai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-6148-7433)
Institutions
- University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (US)
- University of Hawaii System (US)
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University (CN)
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- Peking University (CN)
- ETH Zurich (CH)
- Lincoln Agritech (New Zealand) (NZ)
- Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences (CN)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- Institute of Soil Science (CN)
- Pacific Biosciences (United States) (US)
- University of Oklahoma (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Cell Reports
- Published
- 2025-11-21
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116597
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Aluminum toxicity and tolerance in plants and animals
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.75