Involvement of calcium-mediated effects on ROS metabolism in the regulation of growth improvement under salinity.

Salinity reduces Ca(2+) availability, transport, and mobility to growing regions of the plant and supplemental Ca(2+) is known to reduce salinity damages. This study was undertaken to unravel some of the ameliorative mechanisms of Ca(2+) on salt stress at the cellular and tissue levels. Zea mays L.

Involvement of the plant antioxidative response in the differential growth sensitivity to salinity of leaves vs roots during cell development.

Sensitivity to salinity varies between plant organs and between cells of different developmental stages within a single organ. The physiological and molecular bases for the differential responses are not known. Exposure of plants to salinity is known to induce formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are involved in damage mechanisms but also in cell growth processes.

Differential expression of maize chitinases in the presence or absence of Trichoderma harzianum strain T22 and indications of a novel exo- endo-heterodimeric chitinase activity.

Background: The interaction of plants with endophytic symbiotic fungi in the genus Trichoderma alters the plant proteome and transcriptome and results in enhanced plant growth and resistance to diseases. In a previous study, we identified the numerous chitinolytic enzyme families and individual enzymes in maize which are implicated in plant disease resistance and other plant responses.

Results: We examined the differential expression of the entire suite of chitinolytic enzymes in maize plants in the presence and absence of T.

Induced systemic resistance and plant responses to fungal biocontrol agents.

Biocontrol fungi (BCF) are agents that control plant diseases. These include the well-known Trichoderma spp. and the recently described Sebacinales spp.

The relationship between increased growth and resistance induced in plants by root colonizing microbes.

Trichoderma spp. are effective biocontrol agents for numerous foliar and root phytopathogens, and some are also known for their abilities to enhance systemic resistance to plant diseases as well as overall plant growth. Root colonization with T.