Rhizobium tibeticum activated with a mixture of flavonoids alleviates nickel toxicity in symbiosis with fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graecum L.)

Unveiling Metal Tolerance Mechanisms in Leersia hexandra Swartz under Cr/Ni Co-Pollution by Studying Endophytes and Plant Metabolites

Heavy metal pollution poses significant environmental challenges, and understanding how plants and endophytic bacteria interact to mitigate these challenges is of utmost importance. In this study, we investigated the roles of endophytic bacteria, particularly Chryseobacterium and Comamonas, in Leersia hexandra Swartz (L. hexandra) in response to chromium and nickel co-pollution. Our results demonstrated the remarkable tolerance of Chryseobacterium and Comamonas to heavy metals, and their potential to become dominant species in the presence of co-pollution. We observed a close relationship between these endophytic bacteria and the significant differences in metabolites, particularly carbohydrates, flavonoids, and amino acids in L. hexandra. These findings shed light on the potential of endophytic bacteria to promote the production of aspartic acid and other metabolites in plants as a response to abiotic stressors. Furthermore, our study presents a new direction for plant and bioremediation strategies in heavy metal pollution and enhances our understanding of L. hexandra's mechanisms for heavy metal tolerance.

Exposure to metals and the disruption of sex hormones in 6-19 years old children: An exploration of mixture effects

BACKGROUND

Individual metals have been linked to sex hormones disruption, but the associations of metals mixture are rarely examined among children.

METHODS

A total of 1060 participants of 6-19-year-old who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013-2016) were included. Eighteen metals were quantified in the whole blood and urine. Sex hormones were measured in serum, including total testosterone (TT), estradiol (E₂), and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). In addition, free androgen index (FAI) and the ratio of TT to E₂ were calculated. Bayesian kernel machine regression and latent class analysis were performed to assess the associations of metals mixture and exposure patterns of metals at varied levels with sex hormones while adjusting for selected covariates. All analyses were conducted by sex-age and sex-puberty groups to explore the potential sex-dimorphic effects.

RESULTS

Exposure to metals mixture was associated with elevated levels of FAI and E₂ among 12-19 years old girls. Moreover, the exposure pattern of metals that was characterized by high levels of blood and urinary cadmium, blood manganese, and urinary cobalt was associated with elevated E₂ and reduced TT/E₂ levels among girls of 12-19 years old. However, the associations of metals mixture with sex hormones were overall nonsignificant among boys. Nevertheless, metals exposure pattern that was characterized by high levels of blood lead, urinary barium, strontium, and lead but comparatively low levels of the other metals was consistently associated with reduced levels of FAI and E₂ but elevated levels of TT/E₂ and SHBG among boys of 12-19 years old.

CONCLUSION

Metals mixture and exposure patterns that were dominated by high levels of certain metals were associated with sex hormones imbalance among 12-19 years old children in a sex-dimorphic pattern, with the identified individual metals that drove the associations of metals mixture varied by sex.

Phylogenetic diversity and plant growth-promoting activities of rhizobia nodulating fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum Linn.) cultivated in different agroclimatic regions of India

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum Linn.), is an extensively cultivated legume crop used as a herb, spice, and traditional medicine in India. The symbiotic efficiency and plant growth-promoting potential of fenugreek rhizobia depend on the symbiont strain and environmental factors. We isolated 176 root-nodulating bacteria from fenugreek cultivated in different agroclimatic regions of India. MALDI-TOF MS-based identification and phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA and five housekeeping genes classified the fenugreek-rhizobia as Ensifer (Sinorhizobium) meliloti. However, the strains represent separate sub-lineages of E. meliloti, distinct from all reported sub-lineages across the globe. We also observed the spatial distribution of fenugreek rhizobia, as the three sub-lineages of E. meliloti recorded during this study were specific to their respective agroclimatic regions. According to the symbiotic gene (nodC and nifH) phylogenies, all three sub-lineages of E. meliloti harboured symbiotic genes similar to symbiovar meliloti; as with the housekeeping genes, these also revealed a spatial distribution for different clades of sv. meliloti. The strains could nodulate fenugreek plants and they showed plant growth-promoting potential. Significant differences were found in the plant growth parameters in response to inoculation with the various strains, suggesting strain-level differences. This study demonstrates that fenugreek rhizobia in India are diverse and spatially distributed in different agro-climatic regions.

Activation of Rhizobium tibeticum with flavonoids enhances nodulation, nitrogen fixation, and growth of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) grown in cobalt-polluted soil

The goal of this study was to investigate the response of activation of Rhizobium tibeticum with mixture of hesperetin and apigenin to improve growth, nodulation, and nitrogen fixation of fenugreek grown under cobalt (Co) stress. The current study showed that high concentrations of Co-induced noxious effects on rhizobial growth, nod gene expression, nodulation, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and glutamine synthetase (GS) activities, total flavonoid content, and nitrogen fixation. Addition of a mixture of hesperetin and apigenin to growth medium supplemented with different concentrations of Co significantly increased bacterial growth. PAL activity of roots grown hydroponically at 100 mg kg(-1) Co and inoculated with induced R. tibeticum was significantly increased compared with plants receiving uninduced R. tibeticum. Total flavonoid content of root exudates of plants inoculated with activated R. tibeticum was significantly increased compared with inoculated plants with unactivated R. tibeticum or uninoculated plants at variant Co dosages. Application of 50 mg kg(-1) Co significantly increased nodulation, GS, nitrogenase activity, and biomass of plants inoculated with either or uninduced R. tibeticum. The total number and fresh mass of nodules, nitrogenase activity, and biomass of plants inoculated with induced cells grown in soil treated with 100 and 200 mg kg(-1) Co were significantly increased compared with plants inoculated with uninduced cells. Induced R. tibeticum with flavonoids significantly alleviates the adverse effect of Co on nod gene expression and therefore enhances nitrogen fixation. Induction of R. tibeticum with compatible flavonoids could be of practical importance in augmenting growth and nitrogen fixation of fenugreek grown in a Co-contaminated agroecosystem.