Background and aim <p>Heavy metal-resistant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria can facilitate bioremediation, phytostimulation, and stress reduction in metal-contaminated soil, providing an environmentally friendly method for sustainable agriculture. In this study, we explored the mechanisms underlying the plant growth promotion effects of LZUR632, a strain that enhances the phytoremediation of Cd in drunken horse grass.</p> Methods <p>We first isolated a rhizosphere bacterium from the rhizosphere soil of E + <i>A. inebrians</i>, named LZUR632. Then, we co-cultured the LZUR632 and <i>Arabidopsis</i> and <i>A. inebrians</i> seedlings under the different concentrations of CdCl₂. The whole genome, metabolome, macrogenomic sequences, soil biochemical properties and plant growth response were analyzed.</p> Results <p>Our results indicated inoculation of LZUR632 significantly promoted plant growth and improved Cd stress resistance. And LZUR632 encoded numerous genes required for Cd tolerance and secreted many compounds that contributed to plant growth. Additionally, inoculation of LZUR632 induced taxonomic and functional shifts in the rhizosphere microbial community, increasing plant growth-promoting microbes and nitrogen-fixing microbes that enhanced nutrient assimilation and plant growth. Upregulation of genes encoding lipid metabolism might also aid in stabilizing Cd ions in the rhizosphere soil.</p> Conclusions <p>These findings demonstrated the potential of LZUR632-mediated phytoremediation and provided insights into the microbe-induced mechanisms of plant growth promotion in Cd-contaminated soil.</p>