The process of domestication shapes the plant growth-promoting bacteria community in the rhizosphere of lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus)

The process of plant domestication has influenced the entire microbial community in the rhizosphere. However, it remains unclear how domestication shapes the community of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) in the rhizosphere. Therefore, this study assessed the PGPB community during the domestication of lima bean. Soil samples from the rhizosphere of wild, semi-domesticated, and domesticated genotypes were collected, and the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced to identify PGPB genera. The domestication of lima beans did not impact the diversity of PGPB in the rhizosphere. However, the composition of the PGPB community changed when comparing wild, semi-domesticated, and domesticated genotypes. The network complexity increased from wild to domesticated genotypes, and the process of domestication increased the proportion of generalists and specialist PGPB. This study demonstrated that the domestication of lima bean shapes the composition and interactions of PGPB in the rhizosphere. Consequently, the rhizosphere of domesticated lima bean genotypes recruited specific PGPB genera, which exhibited higher microbial interactions and connections.