Piriformospora indica in Improving Stress Resistance in Horticultural Plants: Function and Mechanism

Yang, Yan; Yang, Pei; Cheng, Chunzhen; Zhang, Hongsheng; Yao, Yandong

doi:10.3390/horticulturae12070860

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Piriformospora indica in Improving Stress Resistance in Horticultural Plants: Function and Mechanism

by

Yan Yang

^1,*,

Pei Yang

²,

Chunzhen Cheng

³

,

Hongsheng Zhang

⁴ and

Yandong Yao

^3,*

¹

Department of Cultural Industry, Jinzhong University, 199 Wenhua Street, Yuci District, Jinzhong 030619, China

²

Department of Biological Science and Technology, Jinzhong University, 199 Wenhua Street, Yuci District, Jinzhong 030619, China

³

College of Horticulture, Shanxi Agricultural University, 81 Longcheng Street, Xiaodian District, Taiyuan 030031, China

⁴

College of Life Sciences and Technology, Ningxia Vocational and Technical University, 393 Dalian West Road, Xixia District, Yinchuan 750021, China

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Horticulturae 2026, 12(7), 860; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12070860

Submission received: 2 June 2026 / Revised: 13 July 2026 / Accepted: 14 July 2026 / Published: 15 July 2026

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights into Stress Physiology and Resistance Regulation in Horticultural Plants: 2nd Edition)

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Abstract

Horticultural plants are exposed to multiple environmental stresses that compromise both vegetative growth development and final crop production. Piriformospora indica, a mycorrhizal-like fungus that can be cultivated axenically, promotes plant growth and stress tolerance. There is currently compelling experimental evidence that P. indica is involved in the plant stress response. This narrative review mainly focuses on the ability of P. indica to induce defense responses by enhancing antioxidant enzyme activities, regulating membrane peroxidation, promoting photosynthesis, and reducing the accumulation of ROS, thereby ultimately improving plant stress tolerance. Future research may focus on deciphering the intricate mechanisms by which P. indica, gasotransmitters, and transcription factors coregulate plant growth during stress.

Keywords: Piriformospora indica; Abiotic stress; Root endophytic fungus; Phytohormone; symbiosis

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MDPI and ACS Style

Yang, Y.; Yang, P.; Cheng, C.; Zhang, H.; Yao, Y. Piriformospora indica in Improving Stress Resistance in Horticultural Plants: Function and Mechanism. Horticulturae 2026, 12, 860. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12070860

AMA Style

Yang Y, Yang P, Cheng C, Zhang H, Yao Y. Piriformospora indica in Improving Stress Resistance in Horticultural Plants: Function and Mechanism. Horticulturae. 2026; 12(7):860. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12070860

Chicago/Turabian Style

Yang, Yan, Pei Yang, Chunzhen Cheng, Hongsheng Zhang, and Yandong Yao. 2026. "Piriformospora indica in Improving Stress Resistance in Horticultural Plants: Function and Mechanism" Horticulturae 12, no. 7: 860. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12070860

APA Style

Yang, Y., Yang, P., Cheng, C., Zhang, H., & Yao, Y. (2026). Piriformospora indica in Improving Stress Resistance in Horticultural Plants: Function and Mechanism. Horticulturae, 12(7), 860. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12070860

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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Piriformospora indica in Improving Stress Resistance in Horticultural Plants: Function and Mechanism

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