Global exploration of drought-tolerant bacteria in the wheat rhizosphere reveals microbiota shifts and functional taxa enhancing plant resilience.

Abstract

Drought stress impacts plant-microbe interactions, reshaping microbial community composition and biogeochemical cycling, thereby reducing crop productivity and threatening food security. However, the specific microbial responses and roles of plant-derived metabolites remain underexplored. Here we reveal that drought stress shifts the composition of wheat-associated microbiota across the phyllosphere, rhizosphere and root endosphere by favouring Actinobacteria and Ascomycota while depleting Proteobacteria and Basidiomycota. Targeted single-cell sorting and sequencing identified 21 active drought-tolerant bacteria (DTB) enriched in genes related to plant fitness and nutrient cycling. These DTB showed significant positive correlations with drought-enriched plant phytochemicals such as jasmonic acid and pipecolic acid. Moreover, the inoculation of synthetic community including four identified drought-tolerant taxa significantly stimulates the wheat growth under drought stress. A global exploration confirmed the widespread distribution of DTB, underscoring their promising potential to enhance crop resilience. This study provides new insights into drought-induced microbiome shifts and highlights microbial candidates for improving crop resilience in a changing climate.