Complete Genome Sequence Analysis and Phytoprobiotic Characteristics of P-Hydroxybenzoic Acid-Degrading Bacterium P09

Abstract

The p-hydroxybenzoic acid serves as a representative allelochemical, and its accumulation in soil poses a persistent obstacle stress to crop growth, which can be efficiently mitigated through bioremediation by microorganisms. A strain exhibiting highly efficient degradation ability towards p-hydroxybenzoic acid was isolated from the rhizosphere of peanut in this study, which not only effectively alleviated the autotoxicity of phenolic acids but also promoted plant growth. The genome of the strain was sequenced to analyze its biodegradation characteristics and metabolic mechanisms. Phylogenomic analyses confirmed P09 as Acinetobacter pittii, which possesses a single circular chromosome measuring 3,843,723 bp in length with an average GC content of 38.88%. The analysis of the genome revealed potential genomic properties associated with promoting plant growth, including the degradation of aromatic xenobiotics, synthesis of IAA, phosphate solubilization and formation of biofilms. In addition, the application of P09 under p-hydroxybenzoic acid stress not only enhanced peanut germination and plant growth, but also augmented the activities of antioxidant enzymes. Overall, Acinetobacter pittii P09 demonstrates exceptional capabilities in the biodegradation of p-hydroxybenzoic acid, and promotion of plant growth, these findings highlight the potential of P09 as a plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria strain for mitigating autotoxicity stress and facilitating organic agriculture applications.

Keywords: p-Hydroxybenzoic acid, Acinetobacter pittii, biodegradation, whole genome sequencing, plant growth promoting-rhizobacteria