ABSTRACT: Bacillus megaterium TRQ8 was isolated from wheat (Triticum turgidum subsp. durum) rhizosphere in commercial fields in the Yaqui Valley, Mexico. Here, we report the draft genome of strain TRQ8, with a size of ~ 5.6 Mbp and a G + C content of 38%. Based on the cutoff values on species delimitation established for average nucleotide identity (> 95-96%), genome-to-genome distance calculator (> 70%), and the reference sequence alignment-based phylogeny (REALPHY) builder method, TRQ8 was strongly affiliated to Bacillus megaterium. The rapid annotation using subsystem technology server revealed that TRQ8 contains 153 RNA genes, and 6113 coding DNA sequences, including those related to plant growth promotion traits, i.e. auxin biosynthesis, phosphate metabolism, siderophores production, and osmotic and oxidative stress response. The function of those putative annotated genes was validated at metabolic level, observing that strain TRQ8 was able to produce 12.0 ± 1.9 µg/mL indoles, phosphate solubilization of 38.7 ± 4.2%, siderophore production of 8.1 ± 0.2%, and tolerance to saline (80.0 ± 5.3%), and water (110.0 ± 4.2%) stress conditions. This genomic and metabolic background was in vivo corroborated by the inoculation of TRQ8 to wheat plants (30 days, under axenic conditions), observing a significant (p = 0.05) increment (compared to un-inoculated plants) of shoot height (16.4%), root length (68.4%), total plant length (30.9%), stem diameter (26.7%), stem circumference (34.8%), shoot dry weight (60.0%), root dry weight (55.6%). Those results provide insights for future agricultural studies and potential applications of this strain, as a plant growth-promoting bacterium.
