Effects of applied microbial cultures on the structure and diversity of bacterial communities associated with Phyllostachys edulis

In order to study the feasibility of microbial cultures on the artificial regulation of Moso bamboo ( Phyllostachys edulis ) forest. This study used the microorganisms isolated in the previous research to prepare microbial cultures, and studied the degree of its influence on the bacterial community of Moso bamboo tissue and soil. We collected 36 samples of bamboo whip, whip root, rhizosphere soil, and non-rhizosphere soil of P. edulis before and after the application of microbial cultures. Genomic DNA was extracted and Illumina high-throughput sequencing technology was used to analyze the composition and changes of bacterial communities before and after the application of microbial cultures. Twenty-nine phyla, 96 classes, 229 orders, 444 families, and 974 genera of bacteria were identified from all samples. The dominant phyla of the sample bacteria were Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Firmicutes, Myxomycetes, and Bacteroidetes. Treatment with microbial cultures did not alter the bacterial community in the rhizomes, rhizome roots, rhizosphere, and non-rhizosphere soil of P. edulis . However, the bacterial diversity indices of the rhizomes and rhizome roots of P. edulis increased with time after treatment. The relative abundance of Firmicutes was most affected by the application of microbial cultures, and the rhizosphere soil samples were least affected by the application. Venn diagram and principal coordinate analyses confirmed that the composition of the bacterial community was affected by microbial cultures, but with time, the effect became smaller. Our findings provide a theoretical basis for studies on relationships between the growth of P. edulis and the microbiome, and further provide experimental evidence for the transformation of P. edulis through microbial regulation.