Characteristics of soil microbial composition in the rhizosphere of lutein and zeaxanthin rich maize variety

Rhizosphere microorganisms are key regulators of plant growth, stress tolerance, and secondary metabolism. However, whether soil microbial communities influence lutein and zeaxanthin biosynthesis in maize remains unclear. Analysis of rhizosphere microbial communities revealed that maize varieties rich in lutein- and zeaxanthin harbored greater soil microbial diversity and richness compared to common varieties. Distinct bacterial taxa enriched in these rhizospheres included the phylum Methylomirabilota and the genera Xanthobacteraceae, MB-A2-108, Rokubacteriales, and Acidothermus. Specific fungal genera comprised Didymella, Coprinellus, Trichoderma, Clonostachys, Poaceascoma, Arachniotus, Monocillium, along with several unclassified taxa within Chytridiomycota, Pleosporales, GS13, Agaricomycetes, Polyporales. Most of these specific bacterial and fungal genera correlated positively 0with lutein and zeaxanthin contents. Our findings demonstrate that rhizosphere microbial community composition differs in high-lutein and zeaxanthin maize variety, suggesting a potential association between maize genotype, rhizosphere microbiota, and carotenoid accumulation.