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Genetic Control of Plant Interaction with Beneficial Microbes

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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 (10 February 2023) | Viewed by 16260

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Marina Tucci

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Guest Editor

National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Biosciences and BioResources, CNR-IBBR, Via Università 133, 80055 Portici, NA, Italy
Interests: plant genetics and genomics; gene expression; plant biotechnology; plant-beneficial rhizobiome interactions; response to environmental stresses; plant food quality
* The Guest Editor passed away.

Dr. Monica De Palma

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Guest Editor

National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Biosciences and BioResources, CNR-IBBR, Via Università 133, 80055 Portici (NA), Italy
Interests: plant genetics; plant biotechnology; tolerance to abiotic stresses; crop species; plant-beneficial soil microbe interactions

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Microorganisms of the plant rhizosphere, together with beneficial endophytes, have a recognized role in maintaining plant health and growth also in limiting soils and under environmental constraints. Among these, several microorganisms and their products, either alone or in combination, overall known as biostimulants, could represent a sustainable and efficient strategy to increase plant productivity while reducing the use of agrochemicals and mitigating their negative impact on the environment, biodiversity, and human and animal health. Most of these biostimulants, such as Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF), Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR), Plant Growth Promoting Fungi (PGPF), and endophytes establish a strong mutualistic relationship with the plant, leading to morpho-physiological, biochemical and molecular changes both locally and systemically.

A deeper insight into the modulation of the plant transcriptional machinery and downstream processes activated by the interactions between beneficial microorganisms and their products will allow a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying microbe recognition, signal transduction, and response, and create opportunities to select and design new plant varieties and strategies to improve the utilization of biostimulants to sustainably enhance plant growth, yield, and survival in changing environments.

This Special Issue welcomes all scientific contributions (original research papers, perspectives, opinions, reviews, etc.) from a broad scope of interdisciplinary research including plant (epi)genetics, genomics, and transcriptomics of the association with beneficial microbes. There will be an emphasis on studies focusing on gene regulation as well as on the function of new genes underlying plant productivity, quality and tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses mediated by root-interacting, and endophytical beneficial microbes.

Dr. Marina Tucci
Dr. Monica De Palma
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

abiotic/biotic stress mitigation
biostimulants
crop productivity
gene function and regulation
plant growth promotion
sustainable agriculture
transcriptome/genome analysis

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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31 pages, 5285 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sugarcane Genotypes with Contrasting Biological Nitrogen Fixation Efficiencies Differentially Modulate Nitrogen Metabolism, Auxin Signaling, and Microorganism Perception Pathways

by Thais Louise G. Carvalho, Aline C. Rosman, Clícia Grativol, Eduardo de M. Nogueira, José Ivo Baldani and Adriana S. Hemerly

Plants 2022, 11(15), 1971; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11151971 - 29 Jul 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2430

Abstract

Sugarcane is an economically important crop that is used for the production of fuel ethanol. Diazotrophic bacteria have been isolated from sugarcane tissues, without causing visible plant anatomical changes or disease symptoms. These bacteria can be beneficial to the plant by promoting root growth and an increase in plant yield. Different rates of Biological Nitrogen Fixation (BNF) were observed in different genotypes. The aim of this work was to conduct a comprehensive molecular and physiological analysis of two model genotypes for contrasting BNF efficiency in order to unravel plant genes that are differentially regulated during a natural association with diazotrophic bacteria. A next-generation sequencing of RNA samples from the genotypes SP70-1143 (high-BNF) and Chunee (low-BNF) was performed. A differential transcriptome analysis showed that several pathways were differentially regulated among the two BNF-contrasting genotypes, including nitrogen metabolism, hormone regulation and bacteria recognition. Physiological analyses, such as nitrogenase and GS activity quantification, bacterial colonization, auxin response and root architecture evaluation, supported the transcriptome expression analyses. The differences observed between the genotypes may explain, at least in part, the differences in BNF contributions. Some of the identified genes might be involved in key regulatory processes for a beneficial association and could be further used as tools for obtaining more efficient BNF genotypes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Control of Plant Interaction with Beneficial Microbes)

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12 pages, 1628 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Contribution of Ascorbate and Glutathione in Endobacteria Bacillus subtilis-Mediated Drought Tolerance in Two Triticum aestivum L. Genotypes Contrasting in Drought Sensitivity

by Dilara Maslennikova and Oksana Lastochkina

Plants 2021, 10(12), 2557; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10122557 - 23 Nov 2021

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 1716

Abstract

We evaluated the effect of endobacteria Bacillus subtilis (strain 10–4) as a co-inoculant for promoting plant growth and redox metabolism in two contrasting genotypes of Triticum aestivum L. (wheat): Ekada70 (drought tolerant (DT)) and Salavat Yulaev (drought susceptible (DS)) in early stages of adaptation to drought (12% PEG–6000). Results revealed that drought reduced growth and dramatically augmented oxidative stress markers, i.e., hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and lipid peroxidation (MDA). Furthermore, the depletion of ascorbate (AsA) and glutathione (GSH), accompanied by a significant activation of ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and glutathione reductase (GR), in both stressed wheat cultivars (which was more pronounced in DS genotype) was found. B. subtilis had a protective effect on growth and antioxidant status, wherein the stabilization of AsA and GSH levels was revealed. This was accompanied by a decrease of drought-caused APX and GR activation in DS plants, while in DT plants additional antioxidant accumulation and GR activation were observed. H₂O₂ and MDA were considerably reduced in both drought-stressed wheat genotypes because of the application of B. subtilis. Thus, the findings suggest the key roles in B. subtilis-mediated drought tolerance in DS cv. Salavat Yulaev and DT cv. Ekada70 played are AsA and GSH, respectively; which, in both cases, resulted in reduced cell oxidative damage and improved growth in seedlings under drought. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Control of Plant Interaction with Beneficial Microbes)

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12 pages, 2700 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Secondary Metabolites of Pseudomonas aeruginosa LV Strain Decrease Asian Soybean Rust Severity in Experimentally Infected Plants

by Igor Matheus Oliveira dos Santos, Valéria Yukari Abe, Kenia de Carvalho, André Riedi Barazetti, Ane Stéfano Simionato, Guilherme E. de Almeida Pega, Sergio Henrique Matis, Barbara Gionco Cano, Martha Viviana Torres Cely, Francismar Correa Marcelino-Guimarães, Andreas Lazaros Chryssafidis and Galdino Andrade

Plants 2021, 10(8), 1495; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10081495 - 21 Jul 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2381

Abstract

Asian Soybean Rust (ASR), a disease caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi, causing yield losses up to 90%. The control is based on the fungicides which may generate resistant fungi. The activation of the plant defense system, should help on ASR control. In this study, secondary metabolites of Pseudomonas aeruginosa LV strain were applied on spore germination and the expression of defense genes in infected soybean plants. The F4A fraction and the pure metabolites were used. In vitro, 10 µg mL⁻¹ of F4A reduced spore germination by 54%, while 100 µg mL⁻¹ completely inhibited. Overexpression of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), O-methyltransferase (OMT) and pathogenesis related protein-2 (PR-2; glucanases) defense-related genes were detected 24 and 72 h after soybean sprouts were sprayed with an organocopper antimicrobial compound (OAC). Under greenhouse conditions, the best control was observed in plants treated with 60 µg mL⁻¹ of PCA, which reduced ASR severity and lesion frequency by 75% and 43%, respectively. Plants sprayed with 2 and 20 µg mL⁻¹ of F4A also decreased severity (41%) and lesion frequency (32%). The significant reduction in spore germination ASR in plant suggested that the strain of these metabolites are effective against P. pachyrhizi, and they can be used for ASR control. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Control of Plant Interaction with Beneficial Microbes)

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17 pages, 1672 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Transcriptomic Approach Provides Insights on the Mycorrhizal Symbiosis of the Mediterranean Orchid Limodorum abortivum in Nature

by Rafael B. S. Valadares, Fabio Marroni, Fabiano Sillo, Renato R. M. Oliveira, Raffaella Balestrini and Silvia Perotto

Plants 2021, 10(2), 251; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020251 - 28 Jan 2021

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2918

Abstract

The study of orchid mycorrhizal interactions is particularly complex because of the peculiar life cycle of these plants and their diverse trophic strategies. Here, transcriptomics has been applied to investigate gene expression in the mycorrhizal roots of Limodorum abortivum, a terrestrial mixotrophic orchid that associates with ectomycorrhizal fungi in the genus Russula. Our results provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying plant–fungus interactions in adult orchids in nature and in particular into the plant responses to the mycorrhizal symbiont(s) in the roots of mixotrophic orchids. Our results indicate that amino acids may represent the main nitrogen source in mycorrhizal roots of L. abortivum, as already suggested for orchid protocorms and other orchid species. The upregulation, in mycorrhizal L. abortivum roots, of some symbiotic molecular marker genes identified in mycorrhizal roots from other orchids as well as in arbuscular mycorrhiza, may mirror a common core of plant genes involved in endomycorrhizal symbioses. Further efforts will be required to understand whether the specificities of orchid mycorrhiza depend on fine-tuned regulation of these common components, or whether specific additional genes are involved. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Control of Plant Interaction with Beneficial Microbes)

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Review

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20 pages, 886 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Phyto-Friendly Soil Bacteria and Fungi Provide Beneficial Outcomes in the Host Plant by Differently Modulating Its Responses through (In)Direct Mechanisms

by Monica De Palma, Riccardo Scotti, Nunzio D’Agostino, Massimo Zaccardelli and Marina Tucci

Plants 2022, 11(20), 2672; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11202672 - 11 Oct 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2300

Abstract

Sustainable agricultural systems based on the application of phyto-friendly bacteria and fungi are increasingly needed to preserve soil fertility and microbial biodiversity, as well as to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Although there is considerable attention on the potential applications of microbial consortia as biofertilizers and biocontrol agents for crop management, knowledge on the molecular responses modulated in host plants because of these beneficial associations is still incomplete. This review provides an up-to-date overview of the different mechanisms of action triggered by plant-growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPMs) to promote host-plant growth and improve its defense system. In addition, we combined available gene-expression profiling data from tomato roots sampled in the early stages of interaction with Pseudomonas or Trichoderma strains to develop an integrated model that describes the common processes activated by both PGPMs and highlights the host’s different responses to the two microorganisms. All the information gathered will help define new strategies for the selection of crop varieties with a better ability to benefit from the elicitation of microbial inoculants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Control of Plant Interaction with Beneficial Microbes)

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16 pages, 370 KiB

Open AccessReview

One Health Probiotics as Biocontrol Agents: One Health Tomato Probiotics

by Natalya Harutyunyan, Almagul Kushugulova, Narine Hovhannisyan and Astghik Pepoyan

Plants 2022, 11(10), 1334; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11101334 - 18 May 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3400

Abstract

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) is one of the most popular and valuable vegetables in the world. The most common products of its industrial processing in the food industry are juice, tomato paste, various sauces, canned or sun-dried fruits and powdered products. Tomato fruits are susceptible to bacterial diseases, and bacterial contamination can be a risk factor for the safety of processed tomato products. Developments in bioinformatics allow researchers to discuss target probiotic strains from an existing large number of probiotic strains for any link in the soil–plant–animal-human chain. Based on the literature and knowledge on the “One Health” concept, this study relates to the suggestion of a new term for probiotics: “One Health probiotics”, beneficial for the unity of people, animals, and the environment. Strains of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, having an ability to ferment a broad spectrum of plant carbohydrates, probiotic effects in human, and animal health, as well as being found in dairy products, vegetables, sauerkraut, pickles, some cheeses, fermented sausages, fish products, and rhizospheric soil, might be suggested as one of the probable candidates for “One Health” probiotics (also, for “One Health—tomato” probiotics) for the utilization in agriculture, food processing, and healthcare. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Control of Plant Interaction with Beneficial Microbes)

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