Publications by authors named "Ying-Ning Zou"

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi enhance plant stress tolerance, but it is unclear whether AM fungi affect heat tolerance in cucumbers. This study aimed to analyze how an AM fungus, , affected growth, chlorophyll, five osmolytes, and plasma membrane intrinsic proteins () and heat shock protein 70 () gene expression in cucumber leaves after a short-term (80 h) heat stress. Heat treatment significantly reduced root AM fungal colonization rate (0.

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Walnut () is an important nut tree species in the world, whereas walnut trees often face inadequate phosphorus (P) levels of soil, negatively limiting its growth and yield. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can colonize walnut roots, but whether and how AMF promotes walnut growth, physiological activities, and P acquisition is unclear. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of on plant growth, chlorophyll component concentrations, leaf gas exchange, sugar and P concentrations, and expression of () and () genes in leaves of .

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Background: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have a positive effect on drought tolerance of plants after establishing reciprocal resymbiosis with roots, while the underlying mechanism is not deciphered. Metabolomics can explain the mechanism of plant response to environmental stress by analyzing the changes of all small molecular weight metabolites. The purpose of this study was to use Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography Q Exactive Mass Spectrometer to analyze changes in root metabolites of walnut (Juglans regia) after inoculation with an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Diversispora spurca under well-watered (WW) and drought stress (DS).

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Flavonoids are secondary metabolites widely found in plants with antioxidants, of which chalcone synthase (CHS) is a key enzyme required in flavonoid synthesis pathways. The objective of this study was to clone a gene from trifoliate orange () and analyze its biological information and partial functions. A PtCHS gene (NCBI accession: MZ350874) was cloned from the genome-wide of trifoliate orange, which has 1156 bp in length, encoding 391 amino acids, with a predicted protein relative molecular mass of 42640.

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Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have important roles in enhancing drought tolerance of host plants, but it is not clear whether and how AMF increase drought tolerance in walnut (). We hypothesized that AMF could activate antioxidant defense systems and heat shock transcription factors () transcription levels to alleviate oxidative damage caused by drought. The walnut variety 'Liaohe No.

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Soil water stress (WS) affects the decomposition of soil organic carbon (SOC) and carbon (C) emissions. Glomalin, released by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi into soil that has been defined as glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP), is an important pool of SOC, with hydrophobic characteristics. We hypothesized that mycorrhizal fungi have a positive effect on SOC pools under soil WS for C sequestration in GRSP secreted by extraradical mycorrhizal hyphae.

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A cultivable endophytic fungus, Piriformospora indica, improves growth and enhances stress tolerance of host plants, but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. We hypothesized that P. indica enhanced the drought tolerance of the host by regulating the antioxidant defense system and composition of fatty acids.

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Article Synopsis
  • Drought stress is a major challenge for plant growth, and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi can help plants cope by enhancing their adaptability and tolerance when they form a symbiotic relationship with plant roots.
  • AM fungi assist in water absorption and nutrient uptake, contributing to the physiological health of host plants through specific genes and adaptations, thereby mitigating the effects of drought stress.
  • The review highlights the need for more research to understand the complex mechanisms of how AM fungi boost drought tolerance, covering their impact on fungal diversity, symbiotic relationships, and the morphological, physiological, and molecular processes involved.
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Soil water deficit seriously affects crop production, and soil arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) enhance drought tolerance in crops by unclear mechanisms. Our study aimed to analyze changes in non-targeted metabolomics in roots of trifoliate orange () seedlings under well-watered and soil drought after inoculation with , with a focus on terpenoid profile. Root mycorrhizal fungal colonization varied from 70% under soil drought to 85% under soil well-watered, and shoot and root biomass was increased by AMF inoculation, independent of soil water regimes.

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The circadian rhythm of plants is associated with stress responses; however, it is not clear whether increased host plant drought tolerance by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) is associated with changes in the circadian clock. The present study aimed to analyze the effect of Funneliformis mosseae (Nicol. & Gerd.

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Multiple functions of glomalin released by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are well-recognized, whereas the role of exogenous glomalins including easily extractable glomalin-related soil protein (EE-GRSP) and difficultly extractable glomalin-related soil protein (DE-GRSP) is unexplored for plant responses. Our study was carried out to assess the effects of exogenous EE-GRSP and DE-GRSP at varying strengths on plant growth and chlorophyll concentration of trifoliate orange () seedlings, along with changes in root nutrient acquisition, auxin content, auxin-related enzyme and transporter protein gene expression, and element contents of purified GRSP. Sixteen weeks later, exogenous GRSP displayed differential effects on plant growth (height, stem diameter, leaf number, and biomass production): the increase by EE-GRSP and the decrease by DE-GRSP.

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Endophytes have the ability to improve plant nutrition alongside their agronomic performance, among which arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi provide the most benefits to their host. Previously, we reported for the first time that an arbuscular mycorrhizal-like fungus had the ability to colonize roots of trifoliate orange () and conferred positive effects on nutrient acquisition. Present study showed the changes in fatty acids and sugars to unravel the physiological and symbiotic association of trifoliate orange with .

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A feature of arbuscular mycorrhiza is enhanced drought tolerance of host plants, although it is unclear whether host H-ATPase activity and gene expression are involved in the physiological process. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF), , on H-ATPase activity, and gene expression of trifoliate orange () seedlings subjected to well-watered (WW) and drought stress (DS), together with the changes in leaf gas exchange, root morphology, soil pH value, and ammonium content. Soil drought treatment dramatically increased H-ATPase activity of leaf and root, and AMF inoculation further strengthened the increased effect.

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Aquaporins (AQPs) involved in water and small molecule transport respond to environmental stress, while it is not clear how arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) regulate AQP expression. Here, we investigated the change in leaf water potential and expression level of four tonoplast intrinsic proteins (TIPs), six plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs), and four nodin-26 like intrinsic proteins (NIPs) genes in trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata) inoculated with Funneliformis mosseae under well-watered (WW), salt stress (SS), and waterlogging stress (WS). Root AMF colonization and soil hyphal length collectively were reduced by SS and WS.

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Soil arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) enhance the tolerance of plants against soil moisture deficit stress (SMDS), but the underlying mechanisms are still not fully understood. Polyamines (PAs) as low-molecular-weight, aliphatic polycations have strong roles in abiotic stress tolerance of plants. We aimed to investigate the effect of AMF () inoculation on PAs, PA precursors, activities of PA synthases and degrading enzymes, and concentration of reactive oxygen species in the roots of trifoliate orange () subjected to 15 days of SMDS.

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Arbuscular mycorrhizas absorb water from soil to host plants, while the relationship between mycorrhizas and aquaporins (AQPs, membrane water channel proteins, which function in water transport) in mycorrhizal plants is unclear. In this study, Funneliformis mosseae-colonized trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata) seedlings were grown in pots fitted with 37-μm nylon meshes at the bottom of each pot to allow mycorrhizal hyphae absorb water from an outer beaker. The expression of seven plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs) genes, six tonoplast intrinsic proteins (TIPs) genes, and four nodulin-26 like intrinsic proteins (NIPs) genes were analyzed in roots of both well-watered (WW) and drought stressed (DS) plants.

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Arbuscular mycorrhizas (AMs) have the ability to enhance drought tolerance of citrus, but the underlying mechanisms have not been clearly elucidated. Considering the strong association of cell membrane fatty acid (FA) unsaturation with plant drought tolerance, the present study hypothesized that AM fungi (AMF) modulated the composition and unsaturation of FAs to enhance drought tolerance of host plants. Drought-sensitive citrus rootstocks, trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata) seedlings, were inoculated with AMF (Funneliformis mosseae) for 3 months and were subsequently exposed to drought stress (DS) for 8 weeks.

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Citrus canker, caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri ('Xac'), is an important quarantine disease in citrus crops. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form symbiotic interactions with host plants and further affect their disease resistance, possibly by modulating the activity of salicylic acid (SA), a key phytohormone in disease resistance.

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Root-hair growth and development regulated by soil microbes is associated with auxin. In this background, we hypothesized that mycorrhizal fungal inoculation induces greater root-hair growth through stimulated auxin synthesis and transport under water stress conditions. Trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata) was inoculated with an arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus (Funneliformis mosseae) under well-watered (WW) and drought stress (DS) for 9 weeks.

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Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can enhance drought tolerance in plants, whereas little is known regarding AMF contribution to sucrose and proline metabolisms under drought stress (DS). In this study, Funneliformis mosseae and Paraglomus occultum were inoculated into trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata) under well watered and DS. Although the 71-days DS notably (P < 0.

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The Non-invasive Micro-test Technique (NMT) is used to measure dynamic changes of specific ions/molecules non-invasively, but information about hydrogen peroxide (HO) fluxes in different classes of roots by mycorrhiza is scarce in terms of NMT. Effects of Funneliformis mosseae on plant growth, HO, superoxide radical (O), malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations, and HO fluxes in the taproot (TR) and lateral roots (LRs) of trifoliate orange seedlings under well-watered (WW) and drought stress (DS) conditions were studied. DS strongly inhibited mycorrhizal colonization in the TR and LRs, whereas mycorrhizal inoculation significantly promoted plant growth and biomass production.

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Plant roots are the first parts of plants to face drought stress (DS), and thus root modification is important for plants to adapt to drought. We hypothesized that the roots of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) plants exhibit better adaptation in terms of morphology and phytohormones under DS. Trifoliate orange seedlings inoculated with Diversispora versiformis were subjected to well-watered (WW) and DS conditions for 6 weeks.

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Root hairs and arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) coexist in root systems for nutrient and water absorption, but the relation between AM and root hairs is poorly known. A pot study was performed to evaluate the effects of four different AM fungi (AMF), namely, Claroideoglomus etunicatum, Diversispora versiformis, Funneliformis mosseae, and Rhizophagus intraradices on root hair development in trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata) seedlings grown in sand. Mycorrhizal seedlings showed significantly higher root hair density than non-mycorrhizal seedlings, irrespective of AMF species.

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Arbuscular mycorrhizas possess well developed extraradical mycelium (ERM) network that enlarge the surrounding soil for better acquisition of water and nutrients, besides soil aggregation. Distinction in ERM functioning was studied under a rootbox system, which consisted of root+hyphae and root-free hyphae compartments separated by 37-μm nylon mesh with an air gap. Trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata) seedlings were inoculated with Funneliformis mosseae in root+hyphae compartment, and the ERM network was established between the two compartments.

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Trifoliate orange [Poncirus trifoliata (L) Raf.] is considered highly arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) dependent for growth responses through a series of signal transductions in form of various physiological responses. The proposed study was carried out to evaluate the effect of an AM fungus (Funneliformis mosseae) on growth, antioxidant enzyme (catalase, CAT; superoxide dismutase, SOD) activities, leaf relative water content (RWC), calmodulin (CaM), superoxide anion ([Formula: see text]), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) concentrations in leaves of the plants exposed to both well-watered (WW) and drought stress (DS) conditions.

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