Table 2_Endophytic microbe Acinetobacter lwoffii MA1 alters the cadmium content in Spinacia oleracea through membrane proteins-mediated adsorption.docx

While the mechanism of heavy metal accumulation in vegetables and whether it is related to endophytic microorganisms remain unclear. In this study, we isolated an endophytic microorganism, A. lwoffii MA1, from spinach seeds that is tolerant to cadmium.

Pot experiments demonstrated that enriching seeds with A. lwoffii MA1 increased the Cd content in spinach from 0.82 to 0.94 mg/kg, while microbial sequencing counts rose from 139.77 to 247.82, indicating that the addition of A. lwoffii MA1 affects Cd levels in spinach. Inoculation with A. lwoffii MA1 enhanced the microbial diversity of the spinach rhizosphere soil compared to the non-inoculated control, suggesting that the introduction of this endophytic strain positively modulates the indigenous soil microbial community.