Application of targeted metagenomics to explore abundance and diversity of CO2-fixing bacterial community using cbbL gene from the rhizosphere of Arachis hypogaea

► Targeted metagenomics using cbbL and 16S rRNA gene from groundnut rhizosphere. ► A total of 108 cbbL and 210 16S rRNA clones were examined for community structure. ► Copy number of cbbL and 16S rRNA genes, 9.38 ± 0.75 × 107 and 5.43 ± 0.79 × 108 respectively. ► cbbL clones distantly related to the known cbbL sequences thus may be novel lineages. ► Dominance of Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes.