AUTHOR=Jiang Chuandong , Kong Decai , Li Yangyang , Sun Jingguo , Chen Zhenguo , Yang Mingfeng , Cao Shoutao , Yu Cunfeng , Wang Zengyu , Jiang Jiazhu , Zhu Chengguang , Zhang Nan , Sun Guangwei , Zhang Qiang TITLE=Degradation and mechanism analysis of protein macromolecules by functional bacteria in tobacco leaves JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology VOLUME=Volume 15 - 2024 YEAR=2024 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1416734 DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2024.1416734 ISSN=1664-302X ABSTRACT=Tobacco, a crop of significant economic importance, is greatly influenced in leaf quality by its protein content.However, current processing parameters fail to adequately meet the requirements for protein degradation. Microorganisms show promising potential for protein degradation and quality enhancement in flue-cured tobacco preparationIn this study, we isolated and identified a protein-degrading microorganism, BSP1, from tobacco leaf surfaces as Bacillus subtilis using phylogenetic tree analysis based on 16SrDNA sequences. Application of BSP1 to tobacco leaves significantly enhanced crucial enzyme activities, thereby accelerating protein degradation during the curing process. Furthermore, comprehensive genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic analyses of tobacco leaves show that BSP1 promotes protein degradation by enhancing the diversity of the leaf surface microbial community and affecting the ubiquitin proteasome pathway. This study introduces innovative methods to effectively enhance tobacco leaf quality.