Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) adapts to cadmium stress by reshaping rhizosphere fungal community

Increasing evidence indicates that plants under environmental stress can actively seek the help of microbes (‘cry-for-help’ hypothesis). However, empirical evidence underlying this strategy is limited under metal-stress conditions. Here, we employed integrated microbial community profiling in cadmium (Cd) polluted soil and culture-based methods to investigate the three-way interactions between the industrial hemp (Cannabis Sativa L.), rhizospheric microbes, and Cd stress. Results from the pot and three cycles of the successful hemp planting experiments showed that Cd stress significantly affected the composition of rhizosphere fungi in industrial hemp and induced enrichment of the fungal operational taxonomic unit (OTU)3 (Cladosporium). A representative of OTU3 (strain DM-2) was successfully isolated. In a hydroponic experiment, inoculation of DM-2 significantly increased the shoot length (by 25.84 %) and fresh weight (by 92.66 %) of hemp seedlings when compared to the absence of DM-2 under the Cd stress. The findings indicate that DM-2 inoculation could effectively alleviate the Cd stress in hemp seedlings. Metabolomic analysis of spent media with or without DM-2 revealed the association of DM-2 with the transformation of root exudates to melatonin, which may be a key chemical in plant-microbe interactions against abiotic stresses. The findings will inform efforts to manipulate the root microbiome to enhance plant growth in polluted environments. [Display omitted] •Cd stress caused the enrichment of Cladosporium species in the rhizosphere.•Cladosporium sp., DM-2 alleviates Cd stress in hemp seedlings.•DM-2 transforms root exudates to produce melatonin.•Industrial hemp recruits strain DM-2 to combat Cd stress.