¹⁵N isotope tracing reveals Beauveria bassiana colonization promotes nitrogen use efficiency of maize under elevated CO₂.

Authors

Weijin Dong, Shanlong Li, Yafeng Zhang, Yueqian Huang, Yang Lu, Qiyun Li, Zhengkun Zhang, Li Sui

Published in

Plant science : an international journal of experimental plant biology. Pages 113392. Aug 22, 2026. Epub Aug 22, 2026.

Abstract

While the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana is well known for its endophytic plant colonization and growth-promoting capabilities, its role in regulating plant nutrient dynamics, especially under climate change, remains poorly understood. This study investigated the interactive effects of B. bassiana colonization and elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) on nitrogen metabolism in maize. Open-top chambers were employed to simulate ambient and elevated (600 ppm) CO₂ conditions, combined with ¹⁵N isotope tracing to quantify nitrogen translocation, transformation and rhizosphere microbial responses. B. bassiana colonization significantly improved maize nitrogen uptake and assimilation under both CO₂ regimes, with more prominent benefits detected under elevated CO₂. The endophyte modulated internal nitrogen allocation, increased grain nitrogen concentration, and enhanced the activities of key enzymes involved in nitrogen metabolism (i.e., glutamine synthetase, GS; and nitrate reductase, NR). Meanwhile, B. bassiana inoculation reshaped rhizosphere microbial community assembly and regulated rhizosphere microenvironment, thereby facilitating nitrogen availability for plant uptake and reducing nitrogen loss. Notably, B. bassiana effectively alleviated the elevated CO₂-induced nitrogen dilution effect, resulting in greater plant biomass accumulation and higher nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). These findings highlight that beneficial B. bassiana can synergistically modulate plant nitrogen physiology under high-CO₂ scenarios, offering a promising microbial strategy to sustain crop productivity and reduce chemical fertilizer input under future climate change by optimizing plant nitrogen uptake, assimilation and allocation.

PMID:
42632568
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 23 Aug 2026.

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