Isolate-Specific Modulation of Growth, Carbon Allocation, and Transcriptomic Responses in Spirodela polyrhiza by Duckweed-Associated Bacteria

Abstract

Duckweed-associated plant growth-promoting bacteria have attracted attention for their potential to enhance duckweed biomass production. However, the mechanisms underlying isolate-specific growth promotion are unclear. This study compared the effects of two duckweed-associated bacterial isolates, Terrimicrobium sp. PS02 and Aeromicrobium sp. PS05, on the growth, biomass composition, colonization behavior, and transcriptomic responses of Spirodela polyrhiza. Biomass composition and transcriptome analyses were performed to characterize the host responses. Both isolates enhanced duckweed biomass; PS02 increased it 1.2-fold, whereas PS05 induced a significant 1.4-fold increase compared to the uninoculated control. PS05 established bacterial populations approximately one order of magnitude higher than those of PS02 and formed dense extracellular polymeric substance-mediated microcolonies on the surface. Transcriptome analysis revealed that PS05 induced 1108 differentially expressed genes, compared with 454 in PS02, indicating greater host transcriptomic reprogramming. Functional enrichment of transcriptome responses showed that PS05 preferentially regulates carbohydrate biosynthesis, central carbon metabolism, and starch biosynthesis, significantly enhancing starch accumulation and turion formation without reducing protein or photosynthetic pigment content. This study provides evidence linking bacterial colonization, host transcriptomic regulation, carbon allocation, and biomass production in duckweed, offering a basis for engineering high-performance duckweed–microbiome systems for sustainable biomass production.