Unlocking the power of Pseudomonas: network-guided isolation enhances plant growth on Achnatherum inebrians.

Epichloë endophytes reconfigure bacterial networks in Achnatherum inebrians, enriching Pseudomonas and promoting plant growth, forage quality, and nutritional value.

• Why it matters: Understanding how fungal endophytes influence plant-associated bacterial communities is vital for improving grassland productivity and ecological resilience, especially in understudied species like A. inebrians.
• What they did: Using phylogenetic ecological network analysis and culture-based methods, the study examined seed-borne and phyllosphere bacterial communities, identifying Pseudomonas as a key hub genus enriched by Epichloë infection and testing its effects through inoculation experiments.
• The result: Beneficial Pseudomonas strains enhanced plant growth and forage quality, revealing a synergistic mechanism where Epichloë endophytes modulate bacterial communities to boost host performance and offering a framework for microbial manipulation in grassland ecosystems.