Molecular Pathogens, 2025, Vol.16, No.6, 294-302 http://microbescipublisher.com/index.php/mp 294 Research Insight Open Access Mechanistic Study of Rhizosphere Microbial Amendment Regulating Wheat Root Responses to Leaf Spot Disease Guiping Zhang, Wei Wang Institute of Life Science, Jiyang College of Zhejiang A&F University, Zhuji, 311800, Zhejiang, China Corresponding author: wei.wang@jicat.org Molecular Pathogens, 2025, Vol.16, No.6 doi: 10.5376/mp.2025.16.0030 Received: 20 Nov., 2025 Accepted: 12 Dec., 2025 Published: 25 Dec., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Zhang and Wang, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Zhang G.P., and Wang W., 2025, Mechanistic study of rhizosphere microbial amendment regulating wheat root responses to leaf spot disease, Molecular Pathogens, 16(6): 294-302 (doi: 10.5376/mp.2025.16.0030) Abstract Wheat leaf spot disease is one of the important leaf diseases that limit the yield and quality of wheat. Traditional chemical control methods are facing challenges such as environmental pollution and the increase of drug resistance. This study will explore the response mechanism of applying specific beneficial rhizosphere flora (such as Bacillus subtilis and Trichoderma harzianum) in the soil to the wheat root system during the process of leaf spot disease infection, and construct a new model of "root-leaf linkage" immune regulation. Starting from the composition and function of the rhizosphere micro-ecosystem, the mechanism of action of root microorganisms in inducing systemic resistance (ISR) and systemic acquired resistance (SAR) was analyzed. Combined with the signal transduction network between root systems and aboveground diseases, the synergistic activation of key hormone pathways such as JA, SA, and ET was explored. This study not only reveals the key links in which rhizosphere microorganisms regulate the root-leaf synergistic disease resistance mechanism, but also provides theoretical basis and application reference for new microbial disease prevention paths in the context of green agriculture. In the future, this mechanism can be further applied to precise application and ecological wheat disease management systems, promoting the efficient utilization of microbial resources in crop health. Keywords Wheat; Rhizosphere microorganisms; Leaf spot disease; Systemic resistance (ISR); Microbial disease prevention mechanism 1 Introduction Leaf spot disease is not a new problem, but in current wheat production, it still cannot be ignored. This type of disease is often caused by necrotic fungi. Once they invade plant tissues, they will damage the cell structure and cause necrotic spots to appear on the leaves. Although the symptoms are concentrated on the leaf surface, their impact goes far beyond that - photosynthesis weakens and the grain yield decreases accordingly. This trend shows no sign of abating, especially when the effectiveness of prevention and control measures is unstable. The exploration of alternative strategies has become increasingly urgent (Costa et al., 2023). However, apart from directly targeting pathogens, the "invisible battlefield" of plant roots has gradually drawn attention. Rhizosphere microorganisms - especially some beneficial bacteria and fungi - are not just "supporting roles" in plants' resistance to soil-borne and leaf pathogens. They can regulate the immune response of plants, generate antibacterial substances, and sometimes incidentally promote the growth of plants (Yin et al., 2021; Ji et al., 2022). Interestingly, microorganisms such as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Trichoderma harzianum and Stenotrophomonas rhizophila, It has been proven to induce systemic resistance, activate defense pathways including phenylpropanes, and suppress the spread of pathogenic bacteria (Liu et al., 2020). Of course, the functioning of these mechanisms is often influenced by the micro-ecological environment. Under the pressure of pathogens, the rhizosphere microbial community will undergo significant changes. How to rationally regulate these changes might just be the breakthrough for us to achieve sustainable prevention and control. This study aims to clarify the mechanism by which rhizosphere microbial amendments regulate the response of wheat roots to leaf spot disease, with a focus on the recruitment and functional roles of beneficial microorganisms in inhibiting the disease. It reviews the existing knowledge on the pathogenesis of wheat leaf spot disease and the
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