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Plant-Microbes Interactions in the Context of Abiotic Stress

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A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Protection and Biotic Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 21065

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Marzena Sujkowska-Rybkowska

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Guest Editor

Department of Botany, Institute of Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences SGGW, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: plant responses to abiotic stress; legume-rhizobia symbiosis; mycorrhiza; functioning of the host plants and their symbionts under abiotic stress
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Dr. Wojciech Borucki

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Guest Editor

Department of Botany, Institute of Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences SGGW, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: plant responses to abiotic stress; legume–rhizobia symbiosis; functioning of the host plants and their symbionts under abiotic stress
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are accepting submissions for an upcoming Plants Special Issue entitled "Plant-Microbes Interactions In the Context of Abiotic Stress".

Abiotic stresses such as cold, heat, drought, and heavy metals limit plant growth. At the same time, we are faced with increasing demand for food for a growing global population. As such, today, there is an interest in plant–microbe interactions, which can improve plant tolerance to abiotic stress. This Special Issue will gather information allowing a deeper comprehension of plant–microbe interactions under abiotic stress and physiological responses and molecular signaling pathways that are at the basis of these interactions. Topics of interest include but are not limited to symbiotic microbes, microbial factors, plant–microbe chemical signaling, gene expression, hormonal control of interactions as well as plant stress responses (stress adaptation, modifications of plant anatomy and the patterns of metabolite contents, stress-responsive genes, physiological responses). In this Special Issue, we will explore all interactions between plants and prokaryotes or fungi under abiotic stress conditions. Different types of manuscripts, including original research papers, perspectives, or reviews, are welcome.

Dr. Marzena Sujkowska-Rybkowska
Dr. Wojciech Borucki
Guest Editors

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. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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

plant–microbe interaction
abiotic stress
plant–microbe symbiosis
bacteria
fungi
prokaryote

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 6735 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synergistic Effects of Rhizobacteria and Salicylic Acid on Maize Salt-Stress Tolerance

by Qasim Ali, Maqshoof Ahmad, Muhammad Kamran, Sana Ashraf, Muhammad Shabaan, Babar Hussain Babar, Usman Zulfiqar, Fasih Ullah Haider, M. Ajmal Ali and Mohamed S Elshikh

Plants 2023, 12(13), 2519; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12132519 - 30 Jun 2023

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 1788

Abstract

Maize (Zea mays L.) is a salt-sensitive plant that experiences stunted growth and development during early seedling stages under salt stress. Salicylic acid (SA) is a major growth hormone that has been observed to induce resistance in plants against different abiotic stresses. Furthermore, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have shown considerable potential in conferring salinity tolerance to crops via facilitating growth promotion, yield improvement, and regulation of various physiological processes. In this regard, combined application of PGPR and SA can have wide applicability in supporting plant growth under salt stress. We investigated the impact of salinity on the growth and yield attributes of maize and explored the combined role of PGPR and SA in mitigating the effect of salt stress. Three different levels of salinity were developed (original, 4 and 8 dS m⁻¹) in pots using NaCl. Maize seeds were inoculated with salt-tolerant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain, whereas foliar application of SA was given at the three-leaf stage. We observed that salinity stress adversely affected maize growth, yield, and physiological attributes compared to the control. However, both individual and combined applications of PGPR and SA alleviated the negative effects of salinity and improved all the measured plant attributes. The response of PGPR + SA was significant in enhancing the shoot and root dry weights (41 and 56%), relative water contents (32%), chlorophyll a and b contents (25 and 27%), and grain yield (41%) of maize under higher salinity level (i.e., 8 dS m⁻¹) as compared to untreated unstressed control. Moreover, significant alterations in ascorbate peroxidase (53%), catalase (47%), superoxide dismutase (21%), MDA contents (40%), Na⁺ (25%), and K⁺ (30%) concentration of leaves were pragmatic under combined application of PGPR and SA. We concluded that integration of PGPR and SA can efficiently induce salinity tolerance and improve plant growth under stressed conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Microbes Interactions in the Context of Abiotic Stress)

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22 pages, 2981 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Inoculation with Actinobacteria spp. Isolated from a Hyper-Arid Environment Enhances Tolerance to Salinity in Lettuce Plants (Lactuca sativa L.)

by Felipe González, Christian Santander, Antonieta Ruiz, Rodrigo Pérez, Jorge Moreira, Gladys Vidal, Ricardo Aroca, Cledir Santos and Pablo Cornejo

Plants 2023, 12(10), 2018; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12102018 - 18 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1905

Abstract

Irrigated agriculture is responsible for a third of global agricultural production, but the overuse of water resources and intensification of farming practices threaten its sustainability. The use of saline water in irrigation has become an alternative in areas subjected to frequent drought, but this practice affects plant growth due to osmotic impact and excess of ions. Plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can mitigate the negative impacts of salinity and other abiotic factors on crop yields. Actinobacteria from the hyper-arid Atacama Desert could increase the plant tolerance to salinity, allowing their use as biofertilizers for lettuce crops using waters with high salt contents. In this work, rhizosphere samples of halophytic Metharme lanata were obtained from Atacama Desert, and actinobacteria were isolated and identified by 16S gene sequencing. The PGPR activities of phosphate solubilization, nitrogen fixation, and the production of siderophore and auxin were assessed at increasing concentrations of NaCl, as well as the enhancement of salt tolerance in lettuce plants irrigated with 100 mM of NaCl. Photosynthesis activity and chlorophyll content, proline content, lipid peroxidation, cation and P concentration, and the identification and quantification of phenolic compounds were assessed. The strains S. niveoruber ATMLC132021 and S. lienomycini ATMLC122021 were positive for nitrogen fixation and P solubilization activities and produced auxin up to 200 mM NaCl. In lettuce plants, both strains were able to improve salt stress tolerance by increasing proline contents, carotenoids, chlorophyll, water use efficiency (WUE), stomatal conductance (gs), and net photosynthesis (A), concomitantly with the overproduction of the phenolic compound dicaffeoylquinic acid. All these traits were positively correlated with the biomass production under saltwater irrigation, suggesting its possible use as bioinoculants for the agriculture in areas where the water resources are scarce and usually with high salt concentrations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Microbes Interactions in the Context of Abiotic Stress)

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14 pages, 4095 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Organic Farming Favors phoD-Harboring Rhizospheric Bacterial Community and Alkaline Phosphatase Activity in Tropical Agroecosystem

by Neha, Yashpal Bhardwaj, Bhaskar Reddy and Suresh Kumar Dubey

Plants 2023, 12(5), 1068; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12051068 - 27 Feb 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1377

Abstract

The bacteria harboring phoD encodes alkaline phosphatase (ALP), a secretory enzyme that hydrolyzes organic phosphorous (P) to a usable form in the soil. The impact of farming practices and crop types on phoD bacterial abundance and diversity in tropical agroecosystems is largely unknown. In this research, the aim was to study the effect of farming practices (organic vs. conventional) and crop types on the phoD-harboring bacterial community. A high-throughput amplicon (phoD gene) sequencing method was employed for the assessment of bacterial diversity and qPCR for phoD gene abundance. Outcomes revealed that soils treated for organic farming have high observed OTUs, ALP activity, and phoD population than soils managed under conventional farming with the trend of maize > chickpea > mustard > soybean vegetated soils. The relative abundance of Rhizobiales exhibited dominance. Ensifer, Bradyrhizobium, Streptomyces, and Pseudomonas were observed as dominant genera in both farming practices. Overall, the study demonstrated that organic farming practice favors the ALP activity, phoD abundance, and OTU richness which varied across crop types with maize crops showing the highest OTUs followed by chickpea, mustard, and least in soybean cropping. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Microbes Interactions in the Context of Abiotic Stress)

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18 pages, 8237 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Salinity Alleviation and Reduction in Oxidative Stress by Endophytic and Rhizospheric Microbes in Two Rice Cultivars

by Amrita Gupta, Arvind Nath Singh, Rajesh Kumar Tiwari, Pramod Kumar Sahu, Jagriti Yadav, Alok Kumar Srivastava and Sanjay Kumar

Plants 2023, 12(5), 976; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12050976 - 21 Feb 2023

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1825

Abstract

Increased soil salinity poses serious limitations in crop yield and quality; thus, an attempt was made to explore microbial agents to mitigate the ill effects of salinity in rice. The hypothesis was mapping of microbial induction of stress tolerance in rice. Since the rhizosphere and endosphere are two different functional niches directly affected by salinity, it could be very crucial to evaluate them for salinity alleviation. In this experiment, endophytic and rhizospheric microbes were tested for differences in salinity stress alleviation traits in two rice cultivars, CO51 and PB1. Two endophytic bacteria, Bacillus haynesii 2P2 and Bacillus safensis BTL5, were tested with two rhizospheric bacteria, Brevibacterium frigoritolerans W19 and Pseudomonas fluorescens 1001, under elevated salinity (200 mM NaCl) along with Trichoderma viride as an inoculated check. The pot study indicated towards the presence of variable salinity mitigation mechanisms among these strains. Improvement in the photosynthetic machinery was also recorded. These inoculants were evaluated for the induction of antioxidant enzymes viz. CAT, SOD, PO, PPO, APX, and PAL activity along with the effect on proline levels. Modulation of the expression of salt stress responsive genes OsPIP1, MnSOD1, cAPXa, CATa, SERF, and DHN was assessed. Root architecture parameters viz. cumulative length of total root, projection area, average diameter, surface area, root volume, fractal dimension, number of tips, and forks were studied. Confocal scanning laser microscopy indicated accumulation of Na⁺ in leaves using cell impermeant Sodium Green™, Tetra (Tetramethylammonium) Salt. It was found that each of these parameters were induced differentially by endophytic bacteria, rhizospheric bacteria, and fungus, indicating different paths to complement one ultimate plant function. The biomass accumulation and number of effective tillers were highest in T4 (Bacillus haynesii 2P2) plants in both cultivars and showed the possibility of cultivar specific consortium. These strains and their mechanisms could form the basis for further evaluating microbial strains for climate-resilient agriculture. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Microbes Interactions in the Context of Abiotic Stress)

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19 pages, 4087 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Trichoderma asperellum L. Coupled the Effects of Biochar to Enhance the Growth and Physiology of Contrasting Maize Cultivars under Copper and Nickel Stresses

by Fatima Amanullah and Waqas-ud-Din Khan

Plants 2023, 12(4), 958; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12040958 - 20 Feb 2023

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1908

Abstract

Crop cultivation in heavy metal (HM)-polluted soils is a routine practice in developing countries that causes multiple human health consequences. Hence, two independent studies have been performed to investigate the efficiency of rice husk biochar (BC) and three fungal species, Trichoderma harzianum (F1), Trichoderma asperellum (F2) and Trichoderma viride (F3), to improve the growth and physiology of Zea mays L. plants grown on soil contaminated with Cu and Ni. Initially, a biosorption trial was conducted to test the HM removal efficiency of species F1, F2 and F3. Among them, F2 sp. showed the maximum Cu and Ni removal efficiency. Then, a pot study was conducted with two cultivars (spring corn and footer corn) having eleven treatments with three replicates. The results demonstrated a significant genotypic variation among both cultivars under applied HM stress. The maximum decreases in leaf Chl a. (53%), Chl b. (84%) and protein (63%) were reported in footer corn with applied Cu stress. The combined application of biochar and F2 increased leaf CAT (96%) in spring corn relative to Cu stress. Altogether, it was found that BC + F2 treatment showed the maximum efficiency in combatting Cu and Ni stress in spring corn. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Microbes Interactions in the Context of Abiotic Stress)

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Graphical abstract

20 pages, 3000 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Warming Scenarios and Phytophthora cinnamomi Infection in Chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.)

by F. Javier Dorado, Juan Carlos Alías, Natividad Chaves and Alejandro Solla

Plants 2023, 12(3), 556; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12030556 - 26 Jan 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1805

Abstract

The main threats to chestnut in Europe are climate change and emerging pathogens. Although many works have separately addressed the impacts on chestnut of elevated temperatures and Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands (Pc) infection, none have studied their combined effect. The objectives of this work were to describe the physiology, secondary metabolism and survival of 6-month-old C. sativa seedlings after plants were exposed to ambient temperature, high ambient temperature and heat wave events, and subsequent infection by Pc. Ten days after the warming scenarios, the biochemistry of plant leaves and roots was quantified and the recovery effect assessed. Plant growth and root biomass under high ambient temperature were significantly higher than in plants under ambient temperature and heat wave event. Seven secondary metabolite compounds in leaves and three in roots were altered significantly with temperature. Phenolic compounds typically decreased in response to increased temperature, whereas ellagic acid in roots was significantly more abundant in plants exposed to ambient and high ambient temperature than in plants subjected to heat waves. At recovery, leaf procyanidin and catechin remained downregulated in plants exposed to high ambient temperature. Mortality by Pc was fastest and highest in plants exposed to ambient temperature and lowest in plants under high ambient temperature. Changes in the secondary metabolite profile of plants in response to Pc were dependent on the warming scenarios plants were exposed to, with five compounds in leaves and three in roots showing a significant ‘warming scenario’ × ‘Pc’ interaction. The group of trees that best survived Pc infection was characterised by increased quercetin 3-O-glucuronide, 3-feruloylquinic acid, gallic acid ethyl ester and ellagic acid. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study addressing the combined effects of global warming and Pc infection in chestnut. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Microbes Interactions in the Context of Abiotic Stress)

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15 pages, 2813 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Nitrogen on Grapevine Susceptibility to Downy Mildew

by Demetrio Marcianò, Valentina Ricciardi, Giuliana Maddalena, Annamaria Massafra, Elena Marone Fassolo, Simona Masiero, Piero Attilio Bianco, Osvaldo Failla, Gabriella De Lorenzis and Silvia Laura Toffolatti

Plants 2023, 12(2), 263; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12020263 - 6 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1921

Abstract

Downy mildew, caused by the obligate parasite Plasmopara viticola, is one of the most important threats to viticulture. The exploitation of resistant and susceptibility traits of grapevine is one of the most promising ways to increase the sustainability of disease management. Nitrogen (N) fertilization is known for influencing disease severity in the open field, but no information is available on its effect on plant-pathogen interaction. A previous RNAseq study showed that several genes of N metabolism are differentially regulated in grapevine upon P. viticola inoculation, and could be involved in susceptibility or resistance to the pathogen. The aim of this study was to evaluate if N fertilization influences: (i) the foliar leaf content and photosynthetic activity of the plant, (ii) P. viticola infectivity, and (iii) the expression of the candidate susceptibility/resistance genes. Results showed that N level positively correlated with P. viticola infectivity, confirming that particular attention should be taken in vineyard to the fertilization, but did not influence the expression of the candidate genes. Therefore, these genes are manipulated by the pathogen and can be exploited for developing new, environmentally friendly disease management tools, such as dsRNAs, to silence the susceptibility genes or breeding for resistance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Microbes Interactions in the Context of Abiotic Stress)

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Review

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18 pages, 1569 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Role of Iron in Phytopathogenic Microbe–Plant Interactions: Insights into Virulence and Host Immune Response

by Sheo Shankar Pandey

Plants 2023, 12(17), 3173; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12173173 - 4 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1521

Abstract

Iron is an essential element required for the growth and survival of nearly all forms of life. It serves as a catalytic component in multiple enzymatic reactions, such as photosynthesis, respiration, and DNA replication. However, the excessive accumulation of iron can result in cellular toxicity due to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) through the Fenton reaction. Therefore, to maintain iron homeostasis, organisms have developed a complex regulatory network at the molecular level. Besides catalyzing cellular redox reactions, iron also regulates virulence-associated functions in several microbial pathogens. Hosts and pathogens have evolved sophisticated strategies to compete against each other over iron resources. Although the role of iron in microbial pathogenesis in animals has been extensively studied, mechanistic insights into phytopathogenic microbe–plant associations remain poorly understood. Recent intensive research has provided intriguing insights into the role of iron in several plant–pathogen interactions. This review aims to describe the recent advances in understanding the role of iron in the lifestyle and virulence of phytopathogenic microbes, focusing on bacteria and host immune responses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Microbes Interactions in the Context of Abiotic Stress)

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21 pages, 1587 KiB

Open AccessReview

Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria in Plant Health: A Perspective Study of the Underground Interaction

by Mudasir Ahmad Bhat, Awdhesh Kumar Mishra, Saima Jan, Mujtaba Aamir Bhat, Mohammad Azhar Kamal, Safikur Rahman, Ali Asghar Shah and Arif Tasleem Jan

Plants 2023, 12(3), 629; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12030629 - 31 Jan 2023

Cited by 31 | Viewed by 5309

Abstract

Plants are affected by various environmental stresses such as high or low temperatures, drought, and high salt levels, which can disrupt their normal cellular functioning and impact their growth and productivity. These stressors offer a major constraint to the morphological, physiological, and biochemical parameters; thereby attributing serious complications in the growth of crops such as rice, wheat, and corn. Considering the strategic and intricate association of soil microbiota, known as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), with the plant roots, PGPR helps plants to adapt and survive under changing environmental conditions and become more resilient to stress. They aid in nutrient acquisition and regulation of water content in the soil and also play a role in regulating osmotic balance and ion homeostasis. Boosting key physiological processes, they contribute significantly to the alleviation of stress and promoting the growth and development of plants. This review examines the use of PGPR in increasing plant tolerance to different stresses, focusing on their impact on water uptake, nutrient acquisition, ion homeostasis, and osmotic balance, as well as their effects on crop yield and food security. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Microbes Interactions in the Context of Abiotic Stress)

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