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Ait Bessai S, Cruz J, Carril P, Melo J, Santana MM, Mouazen AM, Cruz C, Yadav AN, Dias T, Nabti EH. The Plant Growth-Promoting Potential of Halotolerant Bacteria Is Not Phylogenetically Determined: Evidence from Two Bacillus megaterium Strains Isolated from Saline Soils Used to Grow Wheat. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1687. [PMID: 37512860 PMCID: PMC10384442 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11071687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Increasing salinity, further potentiated by climate change and soil degradation, will jeopardize food security even more. Therefore, there is an urgent need for sustainable agricultural practices capable of maintaining high crop yields despite adverse conditions. Here, we tested if wheat, a salt-sensitive crop, could be a good reservoir for halotolerant bacteria with plant growth-promoting (PGP) capabilities. (2) Methods: We used two agricultural soils from Algeria, which differ in salinity but are both used to grow wheat. Soil halotolerant bacterial strains were isolated and screened for 12 PGP traits related to phytohormone production, improved nitrogen and phosphorus availability, nutrient cycling, and plant defence. The four 'most promising' halotolerant PGPB strains were tested hydroponically on wheat by measuring their effect on germination, survival, and biomass along a salinity gradient. (3) Results: Two halotolerant bacterial strains with PGP traits were isolated from the non-saline soil and were identified as Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas fluorescens, and another two halotolerant bacterial strains with PGP traits were isolated from the saline soil and identified as B. megaterium. When grown under 250 mM of NaCl, only the inoculated wheat seedlings survived. The halotolerant bacterial strain that displayed all 12 PGP traits and promoted seed germination and plant growth the most was one of the B. megaterium strains isolated from the saline soil. Although they both belonged to the B. megaterium clade and displayed a remarkable halotolerance, the two bacterial strains isolated from the saline soil differed in two PGP traits and had different effects on plant performance, which clearly shows that PGP potential is not phylogenetically determined. (4) Conclusions: Our data highlight that salt-sensitive plants and non-saline soils can be reservoirs for halotolerant microbes with the potential to become effective and sustainable strategies to improve plant tolerance to salinity. However, these strains need to be tested under field conditions and with more crops before being considered biofertilizer candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylia Ait Bessai
- Laboratoire de Maitrise des Energies Renouvelables, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université de Bejaia, Bejaia 06000, Algeria
| | - Joana Cruz
- cE3c-Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes and CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
- Competence Centre for Molecular Biology, SGS Molecular, Polo Tecnológico de Lisboa, Rua Cesina Adães Bermudes, Lt 11, 1600-604 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Pablo Carril
- cE3c-Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes and CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Juliana Melo
- cE3c-Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes and CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Margarida M Santana
- cE3c-Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes and CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Abdul M Mouazen
- Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Cristina Cruz
- cE3c-Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes and CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ajar Nath Yadav
- Department of Biotechnology, Dr. Khem Singh Gill Akal College of Agriculture, Eternal University, Baru Sahib, Sirmour 173101, India
| | - Teresa Dias
- cE3c-Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes and CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - El-Hafid Nabti
- Laboratoire de Maitrise des Energies Renouvelables, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université de Bejaia, Bejaia 06000, Algeria
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Ramos AC, Melo J, de Souza SB, Bertolazi AA, Silva RA, Rodrigues WP, Campostrini E, Olivares FL, Eutrópio FJ, Cruz C, Dias T. Inoculation with the endophytic bacterium Herbaspirillum seropedicae promotes growth, nutrient uptake and photosynthetic efficiency in rice. PLANTA 2020; 252:87. [PMID: 33057912 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-020-03496-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Higher vacuolar proton pump activity may increase plant energy and nutrient use efficiency and provide the nexus between plant inoculation with Herbaspirillum seropedicae and growth promotion. Global change and growing human population are exhausting arable land and resources, including water and fertilizers. We present inoculation with the endophytic plant-growth promoting bacterium (PGPB) Herbaspirillum seropedicae as a strategy for promoting growth, nutrient uptake and photosynthetic efficiency in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Because plant nutrient acquisition is coordinated with photosynthesis and the plant carbon status, we hypothesize that inoculation with H. seropedicae will stimulate proton (H+) pumps, increasing plant growth nutrient uptake and photosynthetic efficiency at low nutrient levels. Plants were inoculated and grown in pots with sterile soil for 90 days. Herbaspirillum seropedicae endophytic colonization was successful and, as hypothesized, inoculation (1) stimulated root vacuolar H+ pumps (vacuolar H+-ATPase and vacuolar H+-PPase), and (2) increased plant growth, nutrient contents and photosynthetic efficiency. The results showed that inoculation with the endophytic bacterium H. seropedicae can promote plant growth, nutrient uptake and photosynthetic efficiency, which will likely result in a more efficient use of resources (nutrients and water) and higher production of nutrient-rich food at reduced economic and environmental costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro C Ramos
- Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology Lab, Universidade Vila Velha (UVV), Vila Velha, ES, Brazil
| | - Juliana Melo
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Sávio B de Souza
- Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology Lab, Universidade Vila Velha (UVV), Vila Velha, ES, Brazil
| | - Amanda A Bertolazi
- Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology Lab, Universidade Vila Velha (UVV), Vila Velha, ES, Brazil
| | - Renderson A Silva
- Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology Lab, Universidade Vila Velha (UVV), Vila Velha, ES, Brazil
| | - Weverton P Rodrigues
- Plant Physiology Lab, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense (UENF), Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil
| | - Eliemar Campostrini
- Plant Physiology Lab, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense (UENF), Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil
| | - Fábio L Olivares
- Cell Tissue and Biology Lab, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense (UENF), Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil
| | - Frederico J Eutrópio
- Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology Lab, Universidade Vila Velha (UVV), Vila Velha, ES, Brazil
| | - Cristina Cruz
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Teresa Dias
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
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Birnbaum C, Morald TK, Tibbett M, Bennett RG, Standish RJ. Effect of plant root symbionts on performance of native woody species in competition with an invasive grass in multispecies microcosms. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:8652-8664. [PMID: 30271534 PMCID: PMC6157687 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Revised: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 06/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The majority of terrestrial plants form mutualistic associations with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and rhizobia (i.e., nitrogen-fixing bacteria). Understanding these associations has important implications for ecological theory and for restoration practice. Here, we tested whether the presence of AMF and rhizobia influences the performance of native woody plants invaded by a non-native grass in experimental microcosms. We planted eight plant species (i.e., Acacia acuminata, A. microbotrya, Eucalyptus loxophleba subsp. loxophleba, E. astringens, Calothamnus quadrifidus, Callistemon phoeniceus, Hakea lissocarpha and H. prostrata) in microcosms of field-conditioned soil with and without addition of AMF and rhizobia in a fully factorial experimental design. After seedling establishment, we seeded half the microcosms with an invasive grass Bromus diandrus. We measured shoot and root biomass of native plants and Bromus, and on roots, the percentage colonization by AMF, number of rhizobia-forming nodules and number of proteaceous root clusters. We found no effect of plant root symbionts or Bromus addition on performance of myrtaceous, and as predicted, proteaceous species as they rely little or not at all on AMF and rhizobia. Soil treatments with AMF and rhizobia had a strong positive effect (i.e., larger biomass) on native legumes (A. microbotrya and A. acuminata). However, the beneficial effect of root symbionts on legumes became negative (i.e., lower biomass and less nodules) if Bromus was present, especially for one legume, i.e., A. acuminata, suggesting a disruptive effect of the invader on the mutualism. We also found a stimulating effect of Bromus on root nodule production in A. microbotrya and AMF colonization in A. acuminata which could be indicative of legumes' increased resource acquisition requirement, i.e., for nitrogen and phosphorus, respectively, in response to the Bromus addition. We have demonstrated the importance of measuring belowground effects because the aboveground effects gave limited indication of the effects occurring belowground.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Birnbaum
- Environmental and Conservation SciencesSchool of Veterinary and Life SciencesMurdoch UniversityMurdochWAAustralia
| | - Tim K. Morald
- School of Biological SciencesThe University of Western AustraliaCrawleyWAAustralia
| | - Mark Tibbett
- School of Biological SciencesThe University of Western AustraliaCrawleyWAAustralia
- Centre for Agri‐Environmental Research & Soil Research CentreSchool of Agriculture, Policy and DevelopmentUniversity of ReadingReadingUK
| | - Richard G. Bennett
- Centre for Plant Genetics and BreedingThe University of Western AustraliaCrawleyWAAustralia
| | - Rachel J. Standish
- Environmental and Conservation SciencesSchool of Veterinary and Life SciencesMurdoch UniversityMurdochWAAustralia
- School of Biological SciencesThe University of Western AustraliaCrawleyWAAustralia
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Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities in tropical rain forest are resilient to slash-and-burn agriculture. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467418000184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Abstract:Certain forestry and agricultural practices are known to affect arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal communities, but the effects of deforestation – including slash-and-burn management and other more severe disturbances – in tropical rain forests are poorly understood. We addressed the effects of anthropogenic disturbance on rain-forest AM fungal communities in French Guiana, by comparing mature tropical rain forest, slash-and-burn (5 y old) and clearcut areas (8 y old). A total of 36 soil samples were collected in six plots and sequenced using a high throughput 454-pyrosequencing platform. A total of 32649 sequences from 103 AM fungal virtual taxa (VT) were recorded. Whereas alpha diversity of AM fungi did not decrease due to land-use intensification, with average richness ranging from 17 to 21 taxa per plot, beta diversity (average distance to multivariate centroid) dropped by 28% from 0.46 in rain forest to 0.33 under clearcutting. AM fungal community composition was correlated with land use and soil chemical properties. Clearcut areas were characterized by the more frequent occurrence of specialist AM fungi, compared with mature forest or slash-and-burn areas. Specifically, clearcuts contained the highest proportions of VT that were geographic (21%), habitat (31%), abundance (97%) or host (97%) specialists based on VT metadata contained in the MaarjAM database. This suggests that certain AM fungi with narrow ecological niches have traits that allow them to exploit conditions of severe disturbance. In conclusion, slash-and-burn management appears to allow diverse AM fungal communities to persist, and may favour regeneration of tropical rain forest after abandonment. More severe disturbance in the form of clearcutting resulted in marked changes in AM fungal communities.
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