Bacterial Microbiome Differences between the Roots of Diseased and Healthy Chinese Hickory () Trees.

is an important economic nut tree that is endemic to eastern China. As such, outbreaks of root rot disease in result in reduced yields and serious economic losses. Moreover, while soil bacterial communities play a crucial role in plant health and are associated with plant disease outbreaks, their diversity and composition in are not clearly understood. In this study, Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Actinobacteria were found to be the most dominant bacterial communities (accounting for approximately 80.32% of the total) in the root tissue, rhizosphere soil, and bulk soil of healthy specimens. Further analysis revealed the abundance of genera belonging to Proteobacteria, namely, , , , , and , was higher in the root tissues of healthy specimens than in those of diseased and dead trees. In addition, the abundance of four genera belonging to Actinobacteria, namely, , , , and , was significantly higher in the root tissues of healthy specimens than in those of diseased and dead trees. Altogether, these results suggest that disruption in the balance of these bacterial communities may be associated with the development of root rot in , and further, our study provides theoretical guidance for the isolation and control of pathogens and diseases related to this important tree species.