Rhizobacterial functional assemblies modulate DEHP accumulation in choysum (Brassica parachinensis L.) (microbiomejournal.biomedcentral.com)

• Two choysum varieties show distinct rhizobacterial recruitment under DEHP stress: LAV recruits degraders, HAV recruits growth promoters.
• SynCom experiments confirm variety-specific microbiome assembly directly affects DEHP accumulation in plants.
• Findings suggest microbiome engineering could reduce phthalate contamination in food crops.

"A study published in Microbiome on 21 July 2026 shows that two choysum varieties differentially recruit rhizobacteria in response to the soil contaminant DEHP. The low-accumulation variety (LAV) preferentially recruits DEHP-degrading bacteria, minimizing uptake, while the high-accumulation variety (HAV) recruits plant growth-promoting bacteria, prioritizing growth. Synthetic microbial communities (SynComs) confirmed these variety-specific responses, demonstrating a direct link between rhizobacterial assembly and DEHP accumulation phenotypes. The findings suggest potential for microbiome-based strategies to reduce phthalate accumulation in food crops."