Microbial Phosphate Solubilization Promotes Rare Earth Element Accumulation in the Hyperaccumulator <i>Dicranopteris linearis</i> from China.

This study investigated the rhizosphere microbiome of the rare earth element (REE) hyperaccumulator plant Dicranopteris linearis in China. The researchers found that the plant grows under severe phosphorus deficiency, with the core rhizosphere microbiome primarily correlated with soil phosphorus availability. Foliar phosphorus and REE concentrations were positively associated with soil total phosphorus and a key biomarker of microbial phosphate solubilization, but not with available phosphorus or extractable REEs. Metagenomic analyses revealed abundant phosphate-solubilizing microbes in the core microbiome. These findings demonstrate that REE accumulation in D. linearis is a byproduct of microbial phosphate solubilization under phosphorus-limited conditions, providing insights into the complex interactions between plants, microbes, and soil nutrients.