Abstract:[Objective] Among collected plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), we explored the plant growth-promoting mechanism of Bacillus subtilis JC01 producing volatile organic compound. [Methods] Among 838 bacterial strains isolated from rhizosphere soil, 107 strains were selected for amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis, according to their activities of nitrogen fixation, organic phosphorus decomposition, inorganic phosphorus solubilization, and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and siderophore production in vitro. A total of 20 potential bacteria from different clusters were assessed for the relationship between the assessment system and their plant growth promotion in greenhouse. The expression level of plant hormone signaling pathways related genes in tomato exposed to volatile organic compound (VOC) produced by JC01 was tested by real-time PCR. [Results] Four strains had high plant growth-promoting efficiency on different crops. Moreover, JC01 could produce VOC that efficiently promoted plant growth, and the emission upregulated the expression of IAA signaling pathway related gene, and downregulated that of abscisic acid (ABA) and ethylene (ETH) signaling pathways related genes. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing data defined that JC01 was Bacillus subtilis. [Conclusion] Bacillus subtilis JC01 promoted plant growth by producing VOC.