Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Alleviate High Salinity Impact on the Halophyte by Modulating Antioxidant Defense and Soil Biological Activity.

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are considered as bio-ameliorators that confer better salt resistance to host plants while improving soil biological activity. Despite their importance, data about the likely synergisms between PGPR and halophytes in their native environments are scarce. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of PGPR ( sp.

Showing their mettle: extraradical mycelia of arbuscular mycorrhizae form a metal filter to improve host Al tolerance and P nutrition.

Background: New evidence has shown that arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi can contribute to the aluminum (Al ) tolerance of host plants growing in acidic soils with phytotoxic levels of Al . The aim of this study was to investigate the role of AM fungi isolated from naturally occurring Al acidic soils in conferring host tolerance to Al toxicity in three wheat cultivars differing in Al sensitivity. The experiment was conducted in a soilless substrate (vermiculite/perlite, 2:1 v/v) using two Al -tolerant wheat genotypes and one Al -sensitive wheat genotype.

Phenotypic and molecular traits determine the tolerance of olive trees to drought stress.

Olive trees are known for their capacity to adapt to drought through several phenotypic and molecular variations, although this can vary according to the different provenances of the same olive cultivar. We confronted the same olive cultivar from two different location in Spain: Freila, in the Granada province, with low annual precipitation, and Grazalema, in the Cadiz province, with high annual precipitation, and subjected them to five weeks of severe drought stress. We found distinctive physiological and developmental adaptations among the two provenances.

Rhizobial symbiosis modifies root hydraulic properties in bean plants under non-stressed and salinity-stressed conditions.

Rhizobial symbiosis improved the water status of bean plants under salinity-stress conditions, in part by increasing their osmotic root water flow. One of the main problems for agriculture worldwide is the increasing salinization of farming lands. The use of soil beneficial microorganisms stands up as a way to tackle this problem.

Native bacteria promote plant growth under drought stress condition without impacting the rhizomicrobiome.

Inoculation of plants with beneficial plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) emerges a valuable strategy for ecosystem recovery. However, drought conditions might compromise plant-microbe interactions especially in semiarid regions. This study highlights the effect of native PGPB after 1 year inoculation on autochthonous shrubs growth and rhizosphere microbial community composition and activity under drought stress conditions.

Effects of different arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal backgrounds and soils on olive plants growth and water relation properties under well-watered and drought conditions.

The adaptation capacity of olive trees to different environments is well recognized. However, the presence of microorganisms in the soil is also a key factor in the response of these trees to drought. The objective of the present study was to elucidate the effects of different arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi coming from diverse soils on olive plant growth and water relations.

Impact of microbial inoculation on biomass accumulation by Sulla carnosa provenances, and in regulating nutrition, physiological and antioxidant activities of this species under non-saline and saline conditions.

Bacteria (Pseudomonas sp. and Bacillus sp.) and/or the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus Rhizophagus intraradices were able to improve growth, physiological and biochemical characteristics of four Sulla carnosa Desf.

Regulation of cation transporter genes by the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis in rice plants subjected to salinity suggests improved salt tolerance due to reduced Na(+) root-to-shoot distribution.

Rice is a salt-sensitive crop whose productivity is strongly reduced by salinity around the world. Plants growing in saline soils are subjected to the toxicity of specific ions such as sodium, which damage cell organelles and disrupt metabolism. Plants have evolved biochemical and molecular mechanisms to cope with the negative effects of salinity.

Autochthonous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and Bacillus thuringiensis from a degraded Mediterranean area can be used to improve physiological traits and performance of a plant of agronomic interest under drought conditions.

Studies have shown that some microorganisms autochthonous from stressful environments are beneficial when used with autochthonous plants, but these microorganisms rarely have been tested with allochthonous plants of agronomic interest. This study investigates the effectiveness of drought-adapted autochthonous microorganisms [Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and a consortium of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi] from a degraded Mediterranean area to improve plant growth and physiology in Zea mays under drought stress. Maize plants were inoculated or not with B.

Microbial inoculants and organic amendment improves plant establishment and soil rehabilitation under semiarid conditions.

The re-establishment of autochthonous shrub species is an essential strategy for recovering degraded soils under semiarid Mediterranean conditions. A field assay was carried out to determine the combined effects of the inoculation with native rhizobacteria (Bacillus megaterium, Enterobacter sp, Bacillus thuringiensis and Bacillus sp) and the addition of composted sugar beet (SB) residue on physicochemical soil properties and Lavandula dentata L. establishment.

Differential activity of autochthonous bacteria in controlling drought stress in native Lavandula and Salvia plants species under drought conditions in natural arid soil.

The effectiveness of autochthonous plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria was studied in Lavandula dentata and Salvia officinalis growing in a natural arid Mediterranean soil under drought conditions. These bacteria identified as Bacillus megaterium (Bm), Enterobacter sp. (E), Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), and Bacillus sp.

Plant potassium content modifies the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis on root hydraulic properties in maize plants.

It is well known that the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis helps the host plant to overcome several abiotic stresses including drought. One of the mechanisms for this drought tolerance enhancement is the higher water uptake capacity of the mycorrhizal plants. However, the effects of the AM symbiosis on processes regulating root hydraulic properties of the host plant, such as root hydraulic conductivity and plasma membrane aquaporin gene expression, and protein abundance, are not well defined.

Enhancement of clover growth by inoculation of P-solubilizing fungi and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

This study evaluated the synergism between several P-solubilizing fungi isolates and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to improve clover ( Trifolium pratense) growth in the presence of Araxá apatite. Clover was sown directly in plastic pots with 300g of sterilized washed sand, vermiculite and sepiolite 1:1:1 (v:v:v) as substrate, and grown in a controlled environment chamber. The substrate was fertilized with 3 g L(-1) of Araxá apatite.

Azospirillum and arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization enhance rice growth and physiological traits under well-watered and drought conditions.

The response of rice plants to inoculation with an arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus, Azospirillum brasilense, or combination of both microorganisms, was assayed under well-watered or drought stress conditions. Water deficit treatment was imposed by reducing the amount of water added, but AM plants, with a significantly higher biomass, received the same amount of water as non-AM plants, with a poor biomass. Thus, the water stress treatment was more severe for AM plants than for non-AM plants.

Regulation of plasma membrane aquaporins by inoculation with a Bacillus megaterium strain in maize (Zea mays L.) plants under unstressed and salt-stressed conditions.

It is documented that some plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) enhance plant salt tolerance. However, as to how PGPR may influence two crucial components of plant salt tolerance such as, root hydraulic characteristics and aquaporin regulation has been almost unexplored. Here, maize (Zea mays L.

Interactions between Glomus species and Rhizobium strains affect the nutritional physiology of drought-stressed legume hosts.

The growth of legume plants is usually enhanced by the dual symbiosis of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and Rhizobium bacteria. However, most reports on this topic have been carried out under optimal water regime conditions. Here, four Phaseolus vulgaris varieties were single or dual inoculated with two different AM fungus and/or two different Rhizobium strains.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Bacillus cereus, and Candida parapsilosis from a multicontaminated soil alleviate metal toxicity in plants.

We investigated if the limited development of Trifolium repens growing in a heavy metal (HM) multicontaminated soil was increased by selected native microorganisms, bacteria (Bacillus cereus (Bc)), yeast (Candida parapsilosis (Cp)), or arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), used either as single or dual inoculants. These microbial inoculants were assayed to ascertain whether the selection of HM-tolerant microorganisms can benefit plant growth and nutrient uptake and depress HM acquisition. The inoculated microorganisms, particularly in dual associations, increased plant biomass by 148% (Bc), 162%, (Cp), and 204% (AMF), concomitantly producing the highest symbiotic (AMF colonisation and nodulation) rates.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi increased growth, nutrient uptake and tolerance to salinity in olive trees under nursery conditions.

Inoculating olive plantlets with the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) Glomus mosseae, Glomus intraradices or Glomus claroideum increased plant growth and the ability to acquire nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium from non-saline as well as saline media. AMF-colonized plants also increased in survival rate after transplant. Osmotic stress caused by NaCl supply reduced stem diameter, number of shoots, shoot length and nutrients in olive plants, but AMF colonization alleviated all of these negative effects on growth.

Significance of treated agrowaste residue and autochthonous inoculates (Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and Bacillus cereus) on bacterial community structure and phytoextraction to remediate soils contaminated with heavy metals.

In this study, we analyzed the impact of treatments such as Aspergillus niger-treated sugar beet waste (SB), PO4(3-) fertilization and autochthonous inoculants [arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and Bacillus cereus], on the bacterial community structure in a soils contaminated with heavy metals as well as, the effectiveness on plant growth (Trifolium repens). The inoculation with AM fungi in SB amended soil, increased plant growth similarly to PO4(3-) addition, and both treatments matched in P acquisition but bacterial biodiversity estimated by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of amplified 16S rDNA sequences, was more stimulated by the presence of the AM fungus than by PO4(3-) fertilization. The SB amendment plus AM inoculation increased the microbial diversity by 233% and also changed (by 215%) the structure of the bacterial community.

Communities of P-solubilizing bacteria, fungi and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in grass pasture and secondary forest of Paraty, RJ--Brazil.

Communities of P-solubilizing bacteria, fungi and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, were evaluated in two different ecosystems. Samplings taken from two areas of Atlantic forest, in Paraty-RJ, Brazil, one with a secondary forest and the other with a grass pasture were studied. Four growth media: GL (glucose and yeast extract), GES (glucose, soil extract, KNO3, CaCl2, MgSO4, NaCl, FeEDTA and micronutrients solution), GAGES (glucose, soil extract, arabinose, glycerol, CaCl2, MgSO4 and NaCl) and GELP (glucose, soil extract, yeast extract, peptone, CaCl2, MgSO4 and NaCl) were evaluated for the isolation of P-solubilizing microorganisms.

PIP aquaporin gene expression in arbuscular mycorrhizal Glycine max and Lactuca sativa plants in relation to drought stress tolerance.

Although the discovery of aquaporins in plants has resulted in a paradigm shift in the understanding of plant water relations, the relationship between aquaporins and plant responses to drought still remains elusive. Moreover, the contribution of aquaporin genes to the enhanced tolerance to drought in arbuscular mycorrhisal (AM) plants has never been investigated. Therefore, we studied, at a molecular level, whether the expression of aquaporin-encoding genes in roots is altered by the AM symbiosis as a mechanism to enhance host plant tolerance to water deficit.

Evaluation of the role of genes encoding for dehydrin proteins (LEA D-11) during drought stress in arbuscular mycorrhizal Glycine max and Lactuca sativa plants.

In this study, it has been determined whether the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis is able to alter the pattern of dehydrin (LEA D-11 group) transcript accumulation under drought stress, and whether such a possible alteration functions in the protection of the host plants against drought. Two dehydrin-encoding genes have been cloned from Glycine max (gmlea 8 and gmlea 10) and one from Lactuca sativa (lslea 1) and they have been analysed for their contribution to the response against drought in mycorrhizal soybean and lettuce plants. Results with soybean plants showed that most of the treatments did not show LEA gene expression under well-watered conditions.

Microbial co-operation in the rhizosphere.

Soil microbial populations are immersed in a framework of interactions known to affect plant fitness and soil quality. They are involved in fundamental activities that ensure the stability and productivity of both agricultural systems and natural ecosystems. Strategic and applied research has demonstrated that certain co-operative microbial activities can be exploited, as a low-input biotechnology, to help sustainable, environmentally-friendly, agro-technological practices.

Influence of a Bacillus sp. on physiological activities of two arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and on plant responses to PEG-induced drought stress.

The effects of bacterial inoculation (Bacillus sp.) on the development and physiology of the symbiosis between lettuce and the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi Glomus mosseae (Nicol. and Gerd.

Mycorrhizosphere interactions to improve plant fitness and soil quality.

Arbuscular mycoruhizal fungi are key components of soil microbiota and obviously interact with other microorganisms in the rhizosphere, i.e. the zone of influence of plant roots on microbial populations and other soil constituents.