Bacterial Community Structure and Environmental Adaptation in the Endorhizosphere and Rhizosphere Soils of Aeluropus sinensis from Saline Lands Across Coastal and Inland Regions of China

Zhang, Luoyan; Han, Saiyu; Guo, Xiuxiu; Wang, Lijie; Fan, Yilin; Zhang, Xuejie; Fan, Shoujin

doi:10.3390/microorganisms14010165

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Bacterial Community Structure and Environmental Adaptation in the Endorhizosphere and Rhizosphere Soils of Aeluropus sinensis from Saline Lands Across Coastal and Inland Regions of China

by

Luoyan Zhang

,

Saiyu Han

,

Xiuxiu Guo

,

Lijie Wang

,

Yilin Fan

,

Xuejie Zhang

^* and

Shoujin Fan

^*

Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology and Genetic Improvement, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, No. 1 Daxue Road, Jinan 250358, China

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Microorganisms 2026, 14(1), 165; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14010165

Submission received: 15 December 2025 / Revised: 7 January 2026 / Accepted: 8 January 2026 / Published: 12 January 2026

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Plant–Soil–Microbe Interactions)

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Abstract

Bacterial communities in the rhizosphere and endorhizosphere of plants show distinct composition, function, and ecological roles during adaptation to diverse habitats. This study examines how rhizosphere and endophytic microbes associated with Aeluropus sinensis—a salt-excreting halophyte—contribute to its salt tolerance across saline-alkali environments. Microbial diversity and composition were analyzed via 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Soil physicochemical properties were measured to evaluate environmental effects. Linear regression assessed microbial–environment relationships, and co-occurrence networks identified key taxa and their adaptive strategies along environmental gradients. Soil salinity significantly affected rhizosphere bacterial diversity, with moderate levels increasing richness. Proteobacteria dominated both root and rhizosphere microbiomes across habitats. The endorhizosphere community strongly correlated with soil nutrients such as available phosphorus (AP) and total nitrogen (TN). Co-occurrence analysis reveals that chemoheterotrophic microbes in the A. sinensis rhizosphere employ distinct adaptive strategies across gradients, and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) may support nitrogen cycling in the Yellow River Delta saline–alkaline ecosystem. This study underscores microbial adaptability in salt-tolerant grasses, demonstrating that comparing rhizosphere and endorhizosphere microbiomes in Poaceae under stress improves understanding of microbial functions in harsh environments.

Keywords: Aeluropus sinensis; environmental adaptation; rhizosphere; bacterial community structure; yellow river delta

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MDPI and ACS Style

Zhang, L.; Han, S.; Guo, X.; Wang, L.; Fan, Y.; Zhang, X.; Fan, S. Bacterial Community Structure and Environmental Adaptation in the Endorhizosphere and Rhizosphere Soils of Aeluropus sinensis from Saline Lands Across Coastal and Inland Regions of China. Microorganisms 2026, 14, 165. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14010165

AMA Style

Zhang L, Han S, Guo X, Wang L, Fan Y, Zhang X, Fan S. Bacterial Community Structure and Environmental Adaptation in the Endorhizosphere and Rhizosphere Soils of Aeluropus sinensis from Saline Lands Across Coastal and Inland Regions of China. Microorganisms. 2026; 14(1):165. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14010165

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhang, Luoyan, Saiyu Han, Xiuxiu Guo, Lijie Wang, Yilin Fan, Xuejie Zhang, and Shoujin Fan. 2026. "Bacterial Community Structure and Environmental Adaptation in the Endorhizosphere and Rhizosphere Soils of Aeluropus sinensis from Saline Lands Across Coastal and Inland Regions of China" Microorganisms 14, no. 1: 165. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14010165

APA Style

Zhang, L., Han, S., Guo, X., Wang, L., Fan, Y., Zhang, X., & Fan, S. (2026). Bacterial Community Structure and Environmental Adaptation in the Endorhizosphere and Rhizosphere Soils of Aeluropus sinensis from Saline Lands Across Coastal and Inland Regions of China. Microorganisms, 14(1), 165. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14010165

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Bacterial Community Structure and Environmental Adaptation in the Endorhizosphere and Rhizosphere Soils of Aeluropus sinensis from Saline Lands Across Coastal and Inland Regions of China

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