Abstract
Soils associated with halophytic plants naturally contain a number of ubiquitous microbial communities facing limited nutrients and harsh environmental conditions including salinity and drought. In the present study, metagenomic sequencing of 16S rRNA was used to analyze and classify bacterial communities of the soil associated with halophytic plants Halopeplis perfoliata and Zygophyllum album collected from various soil samples located in the seacoast of Jeddah province, Saudi Arabia. Analysis of the 16S rRNA sequences at the taxonomic phylum-level revealed that bacterial communities in the soil samples belonged to nineteen phyla, and the most abundant were highlighted for further analysis. Results indicated that the most common phyla were Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Deinococcus-Thermus, Gemmatimonadetes, and an unclassified phyla. At the taxonomic genus-level, the most abundant ones were highlighted for further analysis which include Marinicauda, Altererythrobacter, Maricurvus, Marinobacter, Porticoccus, Salicola, and three unclassified genera were found belonging to Proteobacteria. Actinopolyspora, Geodermatophilus, Propionibacterium, Euzebya and four unclassified ones were found associated with Actinobacteria. Bacillus, Staphylococcus, Paenibacillus, Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Symbiobacterium, and one unclassified genus were found in Firmicutes. Salegentibacter, Haliscomenobacter, and one unclassified genus of Bacteroidetes. Truepera was found in Deinococcus-Thermus and Gemmatimonas was found in Gemmatimonadetes. Studying taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity of soil microbiome will provide a better understanding for novel candidates that can be selected as biological agents to improve agricultural and industrial practices.