<p>Cadmium (Cd)-tolerant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria have garnered significant attention in Cd²⁺ remediation owing to their dual capabilities of mitigating heavy metal stress and enhancing plant growth. A rhizobacterial strain exhibiting elevated 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase production was isolated from Cd-contaminated soil and genotypically characterized as <i>Ensifer morelensis</i> A23T. This work establishes the first documented evidence of significantly enhanced ACC deaminase activity in <i>Ensifer morelensis</i> under 50 mg L⁻¹ Cd²⁺ exposure. Genomic analysis identified multiple functional genes implicated in Cd²⁺ tolerance and plant growth promotion. Transcriptome profiling revealed that Cd²⁺ stress significantly induced the expression of ACC deaminase-associated genes while concurrently downregulating cell cycle-related genes, suggesting a potential adaptive response to Cd-induced cytotoxicity. Furthermore, inoculation with strain A23T significantly enhanced rapeseed germination and seedling growth under Cd²⁺ stress. These findings underscore the potential utilization of strain A23T as a sustainable biological agent to support plant growth in cadmium-affected soils and provide novel insights into its molecular adaptation strategies to heavy metal stress.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>