Proline-2′-deoxymugineic acid, a phytosiderophore analog, drives beneficial rhizobacterial community formation to promote peanut micronutrition

2′-Deoxymugineic (DMA), a phytosiderophore secreted by Poaceae species, can improve iron nutrition in plants. However, little is known about how DMA influences beneficial bacteria in rhizosphere microecosystem. To address this gap, the DMA analog proline-2′-deoxymugineic (PDMA) was used to evaluate its positive effect on peanut rhizobacterial communities and network structure. This study demonstrated that PDMA can promote the absorption of several mineral nutrients in plants and activate micronutrients in the rhizosphere. Specifically, PDMA led to significant impact on the bacterial community structure in the peanut rhizosphere, resulting in a substantial increase in the relative abundance of Actinobacteriota with six beneficial rhizobacterial genera in this phylum. The Cellulosimicrobium and Marmoricola of Actinobacteriota recruited by PDMA may enhance micronutrient availability both to peanut plants and in soil. PDMA application led to the development of a tight, stable microbial network, as indicated by higher topological parameters and a greater variety of keystone genera. Functional prediction revealed that PDMA fosters microbial communication in the rhizosphere. Overall, PDMA was shown to recruit beneficial bacteria and to modulate bacterial network structure in the peanut rhizosphere. It is concluded that these findings demonstrate that phytosiderophore might promote plant growth and nutrition absorption by regulating plant–soil microecosystem.