Analysis of Microbial Communities Associated with Drought-Resistant Plants Using 16S rRNA Sequencing

Microbial communities associated with plants influence their growth, physiological functions, and resistance to pathogens and environmental stresses. Nevertheless, the identification of beneficial bacterial taxa that support plant resilience to environmental stresses and can be incorporated into synthetic microbial communities is still far from complete. To address this problem, we analyzed the microbial communities associated with three drought-resistant plant species, Chenopodium album L. (from wetland and arid locations), Agropyron desertorum (Fisch. ex Link) Schult., and Alhagi pseudalhagi (Bieb.) Fisch., focusing on microbial signatures in the rhizosphere, roots, and stems. We showed that even under normal conditions, the microbiomes of drought-resistant plants are enriched with bacterial taxa associated with drought resistance, such as Bacillus (Bacillota), Burkholderiales and Pseudomonas (Pseudomonadota), as well as several representatives of Actinomycetota. The greatest diversity within the endospheric microbiome was found in stem samples of C. album from arid location. The specific bacterial genera identified in this study, such as Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Paenibacillus, and Streptomyces, could serve as sources for the creation of inoculants for other plants to help them overcome drought.