Early plant growth promotion of maize by various sulfur oxidizing bacteria that uses different thiosulfate oxidation pathway

A review on metal-based nanoparticles and their toxicity to beneficial soil bacteria and fungi

The unregulated deposition of metal-based nanoparticles in terrestrial ecosystems particularly in agricultural systems has alarmingly threatened the sustainability of the environment and diversity of beneficial microbial populations such as soil bacteria and fungi. This occurs due to the poor treatment of biosolids during wastewater treatment and their application in agricultural fields to enhance the fertility of soils. Continuous deposition, low biodegradability, and longer persistence of metal nanoparticles in soils adversely impact the population of soil beneficial bacteria and fungi. The current literature suggests the toxic outcome of nanoparticle-fungi and nanoparticle-bacteria interactions based on various toxicity endpoints. Therefore, due to the extreme importance of beneficial soil bacteria and fungi for soil fertility and plant growth, this review summarizes the production, application, release of metal nanoparticles in the soil system and their impact on various soil microbes specifically plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, cellular toxicity and impact of nanoparticles on bioactive molecule production by microbes, destructive nanoparticle impact on unicellular, mycorrhizal, and cellulose/lignin degrading fungi. This review also highlights the molecular alterations in fungi and bacteria-induced by nanoparticles and suggests a plausible toxicity mechanism. This review advances the understanding of the nano-toxicity aspect as a common outcome of nanoparticles and fungi/bacteria interactions.

Effect of Re-acidification on Buffalo Grass Rhizosphere and Bulk Microbial Communities During Phytostabilization of Metalliferous Mine Tailings

Phytostabilized highly acidic, pyritic mine tailings are susceptible to re-acidification over time despite initial addition of neutralizing amendments. Studies examining plant-associated microbial dynamics during re-acidification of phytostabilized regions are sparse. To address this, we characterized the rhizosphere and bulk bacterial communities of buffalo grass used in the phytostabilization of metalliferous, pyritic mine tailings undergoing re-acidification at the Iron King Mine and Humboldt Smelter Superfund Site in Dewey-Humboldt, AZ. Plant-associated substrates representing a broad pH range (2.35-7.76) were sampled to (1) compare the microbial diversity and community composition of rhizosphere and bulk compartments across a pH gradient, and (2) characterize how re-acidification affects the abundance and activity of the most abundant plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB; including N2-fixing) versus acid-generating bacteria (AGB; including Fe-cycling/S-oxidizing). Results indicated that a shift in microbial diversity and community composition occurred at around pH 4. At higher pH (>4) the species richness and community composition of the rhizosphere and bulk compartments were similar, and PGPB, such as Pseudomonas, Arthrobacter, Devosia, Phyllobacterium, Sinorhizobium, and Hyphomicrobium, were present and active in both compartments with minimal presence of AGB. In comparison, at lower pH (<4) the rhizosphere had a significantly higher number of species than the bulk (p < 0.05) and the compartments had significantly different community composition (unweighted UniFrac; PERMANOVA, p < 0.05). Whereas some PGPB persisted in the rhizosphere at lower pH, including Arthrobacter and Devosia, they were absent from the bulk. Meanwhile, AGB dominated in both compartments; the most abundant were the Fe-oxidizer Leptospirillum and Fe-reducers Acidibacter and Acidiphilium, and the most active was the Fe-reducer Aciditerrimonas. This predominance of AGB at lower pH, and even their minimal presence at higher pH, contributes to acidifying conditions and poses a significant threat to sustainable plant establishment. These findings have implications for phytostabilization field site management and suggest re-application of compost or an alternate buffering material may be required in regions susceptible to re-acidification to maintain a beneficial bacterial community conducive to long-term plant establishment.

Characterization of plant growth promoting feature of a neutromesophilic, facultatively chemolithoautotrophic, sulphur oxidizing bacterium Delftia sp. strain SR4 isolated from coal mine spoil

A new facultative chemolithoautotrophic heavy metal resistant sulfur-oxidizing bacterium was isolated from spoil sample of an open cast coal mine. FESEM demonstrated that the bacterium from Delftia genus was rod-shaped mucoid and motile. It autotrophically oxidized 20 mM thiosulfate and 1 g l^-1 elemental sulfur to 220 mg l^-1 and 203 mg l^-1 of sulfate, respectively in 7 days under oxic condition and was also able to grow heterotrophically. The strain showed many plant growth promoting properties like production of IAA (23 ug ml^-1), ammonia (6 umol ml^-1), siderophore (55% siderophore unit), and HCN (30 ppm) upon 48 hours of incubation. In Pikovskaya's agar, the strain showed phosphate solubilization index of 2.0 and solubilized tri-calcium phosphate (232 ug ml^-1) and lowered pH from 8.0 to 4.5 within 18 days. The strain yielded promising results on Brassica juncea growth and sulfur, phosphorus, and lead uptake. Where sulfur and phosphorous accumulation was 52 and 116% higher in whole treated plants (derived from microbe-coated seeds), lead accumulation were 81 and 50% higher in shoot and root of the treated plants than control plants (derived from untreated seeds) . These results point that this multifunctional strain can be proposed for phytorestoration of heavy metal contaminated sites.