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Molecular Communication between Plants and Plant Growth Promoting Microorganisms for...
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Molecular Communication between Plants and Plant Growth Promoting Microorganisms for Stress Tolerance

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Microbe Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2021) | Viewed by 32517

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Naeem Khan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agronomy, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
Interests: plant-microbe interactions; biofertilizer technology; abiotic stresses; plant breeding; plant protection; soil microbiology; phytohormones; phytoremediation and metabolic responses of plants to environmental stresses
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plant growth-promoting microorganisms are beneficial microbes that reside in the rhizosphere and roots of plants and direct their developmental process and induce systemic resistance. Plants select beneficial bacteria and help in their colonization through the secretion of root exudates. There is a complex interkingdom signalling between the host and microbes for mutual interaction, which is also influenced by environmental factors. An exchange of chemical signals started between microbes and plants to establish a positive or inhibitory interaction. Molecular communication was built up by encompassing chemical signals from microbes to microbes, plants to microbes or microbes to plants which results in cellular response and altered gene expression. Microorganisms are also known for their role in altering the metabolomics expression of host plants and inducing their systematic resistance by increasing the expression of stress-responsive secondary metabolites. Root exudates contain low molecular weight primary metabolites, such as carbohydrates, amino acids, organic acids, and high molecular weight secondary metabolites, e.g. alkaloids, terpenoids, phenolics, mucilage, proteins and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Many compounds of root exudates act as general chemoattractants, able to attract beneficial microbes and repel pathogens. Plant growth-promoting microorganisms can enhance the tolerance of crops to various environmental stresses by improving the level of cellular metabolites, which suggests a novel role of microorganisms to interact with the plant metabolome, as well as to influence the plant microbiome. The above-mentioned examples of signaling molecules, along with thousands of others, mediate a complex network of signaling in the rhizosphere that helps plants to flourish well and withstand stressful environments. Therefore, this Special Issue aims to collect research papers and reviews that promote this aspect of plant growth-promoting microorganisms.

Dr. Naeem Khan
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Microorganisms
  • Molecular communication
  • Stress responsive genes
  • Stress responsive metabolites
  • Volatile organic compounds

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

3 pages, 200 KiB  
Editorial
Molecular Communication between Plants and Plant-Growth-Promoting Microorganisms for Stress Tolerance
by Naeem Khan
Microorganisms 2022, 10(6), 1088; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms10061088 - 25 May 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1509
Abstract
Plant-growth-promoting microorganisms are beneficial microbes that reside in the rhizosphere and roots of plants, direct their developmental process and induce systemic resistance [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Communication between Plants and Plant Growth Promoting Microorganisms for Stress Tolerance)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

19 pages, 3206 KiB  
Article
Transcriptome Analysis of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Casuarina glauca in Damage Mitigation of Roots on NaCl Stress
by Yihan Wang, Fengxin Dong and Ming Tang
Microorganisms 2022, 10(1), 15; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms10010015 - 23 Dec 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2660
Abstract
Casuarina glauca grows in coastal areas suffering long-term damage due to high salt stress. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can colonize their roots to alleviate the effects of salt stress. However, the specific molecular mechanism still needs to be further explored. Our physiological and [...] Read more.
Casuarina glauca grows in coastal areas suffering long-term damage due to high salt stress. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can colonize their roots to alleviate the effects of salt stress. However, the specific molecular mechanism still needs to be further explored. Our physiological and biochemical analysis showed that Rhizophagus irregularis inoculation played an important role in promoting plant growth, regulating ion balance, and changing the activity of antioxidant enzymes. Transcriptome analysis of roots revealed that 1827 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were affected by both R. irregularis inoculation and NaCl stress. The enrichment of GO (Gene Ontology) and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) showed that most of these DEGs were significantly enriched in ion transport, antioxidant enzyme activity, carbohydrate metabolism, and cell wall. HAK5, KAT3, SKOR, PIP1-2, PER64, CPER, GLP10, MYB46, NAC43, WRKY1, and WRKY19 were speculated to play the important roles in the salt tolerance of C. glauca induced by R. irregularis. Our research systematically revealed the effect of R. irregularis on the gene expression of C. glauca roots under salt stress, laying a theoretical foundation for the future use of AMF to enhance plant tolerance to salt stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Communication between Plants and Plant Growth Promoting Microorganisms for Stress Tolerance)
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18 pages, 1810 KiB  
Article
Mining the Genome of Bacillus velezensis VB7 (CP047587) for MAMP Genes and Non-Ribosomal Peptide Synthetase Gene Clusters Conferring Antiviral and Antifungal Activity
by Saravanan R, S Nakkeeran, N Saranya, C Senthilraja, P Renukadevi, A.S. Krishnamoorthy, Hesham Ali El Enshasy, Hala El-Adawi, V.G. Malathi, Saleh H. Salmen, M. J. Ansari, Naeem Khan and R. Z. Sayyed
Microorganisms 2021, 9(12), 2511; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms9122511 - 03 Dec 2021
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 3863
Abstract
Chemical pesticides have an immense role in curbing the infection of plant viruses and soil-borne pathogens of high valued crops. However, the usage of chemical pesticides also contributes to the development of resistance among pathogens. Hence, attempts were made in this study to [...] Read more.
Chemical pesticides have an immense role in curbing the infection of plant viruses and soil-borne pathogens of high valued crops. However, the usage of chemical pesticides also contributes to the development of resistance among pathogens. Hence, attempts were made in this study to identify a suitable bacterial antagonist for managing viral and fungal pathogens infecting crop plants. Based on our earlier investigations, we identified Bacillus amyloliquefaciens VB7 as a potential antagonist for managing Sclerotinia sclerotiorum infecting carnation, tobacco streak virus infecting cotton and groundnut bud necrosis infecting tomato. Considering the multifaceted action of B. amyloliquefaciens VB7, attempts were made for whole-genome sequencing to assess the antiviral activity against tomato spotted wilt virus infecting chrysanthemum and antifungal action against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc). Genome annotation of the isolate B. amyloliquefaciens VB7 was confirmed as B. velezensis VB7 with accession number CP047587. Genome analysis revealed the presence of 9,231,928 reads with an average read length of 149 bp. Assembled genome had 1 contig, with a total length of 3,021,183 bp and an average G+C content of 46.79%. The protein-coding sequences (CDS) in the genome was 3090, transfer RNA (tRNA) genes were 85 with 29 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes and 21 repeat regions. The genome of B. velezensis VB7 had 506 hypothetical proteins and 2584 proteins with functional assignments. VB7 genome had the presence of flagellin protein FlaA with 987 nucleotides and translation elongation factor TU (Ef-Tu) with 1191 nucleotides. The identified ORFs were 3911 with 47.22% GC content. Non ribosomal pepide synthetase cluster (NRPS) gene clusters in the genome of VB7, coded for the anti-microbial peptides surfactin, butirosin A/butirosin B, fengycin, difficidin, bacillibactin, bacilysin, and mersacidin the Ripp lanthipeptide. Antiviral action of VB7 was confirmed by suppression of local lesion formation of TSWV in the local lesion host cowpea (Co-7). Moreover, combined application of B. velezensis VB7 with phyto-antiviral principles M. Jalapa and H. cupanioides increased shoot length, shoot diameter, number of flower buds per plant, flower diameter, and fresh weight of chrysanthemum. Further, screening for antifungal action of VB7 expressed antifungal action against Foc in vitro by producing VOC/NVOC compounds, including hexadecanoic acid, linoelaidic acid, octadecanoic acid, clindamycin, formic acid, succinamide, furanone, 4H-pyran, nonanol and oleic acid, contributing to the total suppression of Foc apart from the presence of NRPS gene clusters. Thus, our study confirmed the scope for exploring B. velezensis VB7 on a commercial scale to manage tomato spotted wilt virus, groundnut bud necrosis virus, tobacco streak virus, S. sclerotiorum, and Foc causing panama wilt of banana. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Communication between Plants and Plant Growth Promoting Microorganisms for Stress Tolerance)
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16 pages, 9057 KiB  
Article
Combined Application of Citric Acid and Cr Resistant Microbes Improved Castor Bean Growth and Photosynthesis while It Alleviated Cr Toxicity by Reducing Cr+6 to Cr3+
by Shafaqat Ali, Muhammad Waseem, Afzal Hussain, Muhammad Rizwan, Awais Ahmad and Naeem Khan
Microorganisms 2021, 9(12), 2499; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms9122499 - 02 Dec 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2074
Abstract
Chromium is highly harmful to plants because of its detrimental effects on the availability of vital nutrients and secondary metabolites required for proper plant growth and development. A hydroponic experiment was carried out to analyze the effect of citric acid on castor bean [...] Read more.
Chromium is highly harmful to plants because of its detrimental effects on the availability of vital nutrients and secondary metabolites required for proper plant growth and development. A hydroponic experiment was carried out to analyze the effect of citric acid on castor bean plants under chromium stress. Furthermore, the role of two chromium-resistant microorganisms, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus, in reducing Cr toxicity was investigated. Different amounts of chromium (0 µM, 100 µM, 200 µM) and citric acid (0 mM, 2.5 mM, and 5 mM) were used both alone and in combination to analyze the remediation potential. Results showed that elevated amounts of chromium (specifically 200 µM) minimized the growth and biomass because the high concentration of Cr induced the oxidative markers. Exogenous citric acid treatment boosted plant growth and development by improving photosynthesis via enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, guaiacol peroxidase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase, which decreased Cr toxicity. The application of citric acid helped the plants to produce a high concentration of antioxidants which countered the oxidants produced due to chromium stress. It revealed that castor bean plants treated with citric acid could offset the stress injuries by decreasing the H2O2, electrolyte leakage, and malondialdehyde levels. The inoculation of plants with bacteria further boosted the plant growth parameters by improving photosynthesis and reducing the chromium-induced toxicity in the plants. The findings demonstrated that the combination of citric acid and metal-resistant bacteria could be a valuable technique for heavy metal remediation and mediating the adverse effects of metal toxicity on plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Communication between Plants and Plant Growth Promoting Microorganisms for Stress Tolerance)
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29 pages, 8212 KiB  
Article
Insights into the Bacterial and Nitric Oxide-Induced Salt Tolerance in Sugarcane and Their Growth-Promoting Abilities
by Anjney Sharma, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Pratiksha Singh, Anukool Vaishnav, Dao-Jun Guo, Krishan K. Verma, Dong-Ping Li, Xiu-Peng Song, Mukesh Kumar Malviya, Naeem Khan, Prakash Lakshmanan and Yang-Rui Li
Microorganisms 2021, 9(11), 2203; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms9112203 - 22 Oct 2021
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 2753
Abstract
Soil salinity causes severe environmental stress that affects agriculture production and food security throughout the world. Salt-tolerant plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and nitric oxide (NO), a distinctive signaling molecule, can synergistically assist in the alleviation of abiotic stresses and plant growth promotion, but the [...] Read more.
Soil salinity causes severe environmental stress that affects agriculture production and food security throughout the world. Salt-tolerant plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and nitric oxide (NO), a distinctive signaling molecule, can synergistically assist in the alleviation of abiotic stresses and plant growth promotion, but the mechanism by which this happens is still not well known. In the present study, in a potential salt-tolerant rhizobacteria strain, ASN-1, growth up to 15% NaCl concentration was achieved with sugarcane rhizosphere soil. Based on 16S-rRNA gene sequencing analysis, the strain ASN-1 was identified as a Bacillus xiamenensis. Strain ASN-1 exhibits multiple plant-growth-promoting attributes, such as the production of indole-3-acetic acid, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase, siderophores, HCN, ammonia, and exopolysaccharides as well as solubilized phosphate solubilization. Biofilm formation showed that NO enhanced the biofilm and root colonization capacity of the PGPR strain ASN-1 with host plants, evidenced by scanning electron microscopy. The greenhouse study showed that, among the different treatments, the combined application of PGPR and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) as an NO donor significantly (p ≤ 0.05) enhanced sugarcane plant growth by maintaining the relative water content, electrolyte leakage, gas exchange parameters, osmolytes, and Na+/K+ ratio. Furthermore, PGPR and SNP fertilization reduced the salinity-induced oxidative stress in plants by modulating the antioxidant enzyme activities and stress-related gene expression. Thus, it is believed that the acquisition of advanced information about the synergistic effect of salt-tolerant PGPR and NO fertilization will reduce the use of harmful chemicals and aid in eco-friendly sustainable agricultural production under salt stress conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Communication between Plants and Plant Growth Promoting Microorganisms for Stress Tolerance)
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Review

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27 pages, 2083 KiB  
Review
Interaction between Grasses and Epichloë Endophytes and Its Significance to Biotic and Abiotic Stress Tolerance and the Rhizosphere
by Kendall Lee, Ali Missaoui, Kishan Mahmud, Holly Presley and Marin Lonnee
Microorganisms 2021, 9(11), 2186; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms9112186 - 20 Oct 2021
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3356
Abstract
Cool-season grasses are the most common forage types in livestock operations and amenities. Several of the cool-season grasses establish mutualistic associations with an endophytic fungus of the Epichloë genus. The grasses and endophytic fungi have evolved over a long period of time to [...] Read more.
Cool-season grasses are the most common forage types in livestock operations and amenities. Several of the cool-season grasses establish mutualistic associations with an endophytic fungus of the Epichloë genus. The grasses and endophytic fungi have evolved over a long period of time to form host-fungus specific relationships that confer protection for the grass against various stressors in exchange for housing and nutrients to the fungus. This review provides an overview of the mechanisms by which Epichloë endophytes and grasses interact, including molecular pathways for secondary metabolite production. It also outlines specific mechanisms by which the endophyte helps protect the plant from various abiotic and biotic stressors. Finally, the review provides information on how Epichloë infection of grass and stressors affect the rhizosphere environment of the plant. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Communication between Plants and Plant Growth Promoting Microorganisms for Stress Tolerance)
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19 pages, 9531 KiB  
Review
Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria, Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Their Synergistic Interactions to Counteract the Negative Effects of Saline Soil on Agriculture: Key Macromolecules and Mechanisms
by Alka Sagar, Parikshita Rathore, Pramod W. Ramteke, Wusirika Ramakrishna, Munagala S. Reddy and Lorenzo Pecoraro
Microorganisms 2021, 9(7), 1491; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms9071491 - 13 Jul 2021
Cited by 45 | Viewed by 7126
Abstract
Soil saltiness is a noteworthy issue as it results in loss of profitability and development of agrarian harvests and decline in soil health. Microorganisms associated with plants contribute to their growth promotion and salinity tolerance by employing a multitude of macromolecules and pathways. [...] Read more.
Soil saltiness is a noteworthy issue as it results in loss of profitability and development of agrarian harvests and decline in soil health. Microorganisms associated with plants contribute to their growth promotion and salinity tolerance by employing a multitude of macromolecules and pathways. Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have an immediate impact on improving profitability based on higher crop yield. Some PGPR produce 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic (ACC) deaminase (EC 4.1.99.4), which controls ethylene production by diverting ACC into α-ketobutyrate and ammonia. ACC deaminase enhances germination rate and growth parameters of root and shoot in different harvests with and without salt stress. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) show a symbiotic relationship with plants, which helps in efficient uptake of mineral nutrients and water by the plants and also provide protection to the plants against pathogens and various abiotic stresses. The dual inoculation of PGPR and AMF enhances nutrient uptake and productivity of several crops compared to a single inoculation in both normal and stressed environments. Positively interacting PGPR + AMF combination is an efficient and cost-effective recipe for improving plant tolerance against salinity stress, which can be an extremely useful approach for sustainable agriculture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Communication between Plants and Plant Growth Promoting Microorganisms for Stress Tolerance)
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17 pages, 1398 KiB  
Review
Pythium Damping-Off and Root Rot of Capsicum annuum L.: Impacts, Diagnosis, and Management
by Himanshu Arora, Abhishek Sharma, Satyawati Sharma, Farah Farhanah Haron, Abdul Gafur, R. Z. Sayyed and Rahul Datta
Microorganisms 2021, 9(4), 823; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms9040823 - 13 Apr 2021
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 7426
Abstract
Capsicum annuum L. is a significant horticulture crop known for its pungent varieties and used as a spice. The pungent character in the plant, known as capsaicinoid, has been discovered to have various health benefits. However, its production has been affected due to [...] Read more.
Capsicum annuum L. is a significant horticulture crop known for its pungent varieties and used as a spice. The pungent character in the plant, known as capsaicinoid, has been discovered to have various health benefits. However, its production has been affected due to various exogenous stresses, including diseases caused by a soil-borne pathogen, Pythium spp. predominantly affecting the Capsicum plant in younger stages and causing damping-off, this pathogen can incite root rot in later plant growth stages. Due to the involvement of multiple Pythium spp. and their capability to disperse through various routes, their detection and diagnosis have become crucial. However, the quest for a point-of-care technology is still far from over. The use of an integrated approach with cultural and biological techniques for the management of Pythium spp. can be the best and most sustainable alternative to the traditionally used and hazardous chemical approach. The lack of race-specific resistance genes against Pythium spp. can be compensated with the candidate quantitative trait loci (QTL) genes in C. annuum L. This review will focus on the epidemiological factors playing a major role in disease spread, the currently available diagnostics in species identification, and the management strategies with a special emphasis on Pythium spp. causing damping-off and root rot in different cultivars of C. annuum L. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Communication between Plants and Plant Growth Promoting Microorganisms for Stress Tolerance)
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