RNA-seq reveals that multiple plant hormones are regulated by Bacillus cereus G2 in Glycyrrhiza uralensis subjected to salt stress

Bacillus cereus G2 can alleviate the adverse effect caused by salt in Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. Transcriptome in the salt (S) treatment and control (CK) groups with or without G2 (CK + B or S + B) were sequenced to identify G2 regulate genes and response pathways under salt stress in G. uralensis. A total of 3608 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, of which 1589, 623, 469, and 927 DEGs were identified in S vs CK, CK + B vs CK, S + B vs S and S + B vs CK + B comparisons, respectively. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis revealed that G2 improved salt-tolerance mainly by regulating phytohormone in G. uralensis. Specifically, G2 up-regulated the DEGs related to auxin (IAA) signal transduction, abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis, signal transduction, and catabolism, and jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis and signal transduction under salt stress. Overall, multiple phytohormones were involved in the interaction of salt stress and G2 in G. uralensis.