Search

Introduction: Drought has become more prevalent due to dramatic climate change worldwide. Consequently, the most compatible fungal communities collaborate to boost plant development and ecophysiological responses under environmental constraints. However, little is known about the specific interactions between non-host plants and endophytic fungal symbionts that produce growth-promoting and stress-alleviating hormones during water deficits. Methods: The current research was rationalized and aimed at exploring the influence of the newly isolated, drought-resistant, ACC deaminase enzymeproducing endophytic fungi Trichoderma gamsii (TP), Fusarium proliferatum (TR), and its consortium (TP+TR) from a xerophytic plant Carthamus oxycantha L. on Moringa oleifera L. grown under water deficit induced by PEG-8000 (8% osmoticum solution). Results: The current findings revealed that the co-inoculation promoted a significant enhancement in growth traits such as dry weight (217%), fresh weight (123%), root length (65%), shoot length (53%), carotenoids (87%), and chlorophyll content (76%) in comparison to control plants under water deficit. Total soluble sugars (0.56%), proteins (132%), lipids (43%), flavonoids (52%), phenols (34%), proline (55%), GA3 (86%), IAA (35%), AsA (170%), SA (87%), were also induced, while H2O2 (-45%), ABA (-60%) and ACC level (-77%) was decreased by co-inoculation of TP and TR in M. oleifera plants, compared with the non-inoculated plants under water deficit. The co-inoculum (TP+TR) also induced the antioxidant potential and enzyme activities POX (325%), CAT activity (166%), and AsA (21%), along with a lesser decrease (-2%) in water potential in M. oleifera plants with co-inoculation under water deficit compared with non-inoculated control. The molecular analysis for gene expression unraveled the reduced expression of ethylene biosynthesis and signaling-related genes up to an optimal level, with an induction of antioxidant enzymatic genes by endophytic co-inoculation in M. oleifera plants under water deficit, suggesting their role in drought stress tolerance as an essential regulatory function. Conclusion: The finding may alert scientists to consider the impacts of optimal reduction of ethylene and induction of antioxidant potential on drought stress tolerance in M. oleifera. Hence, the present study supports the use of compatible endophytic fungi to build a bipartite mutualistic symbiosis in M. oleifera non-host plants to mitigate the negative impacts of water scarcity in arid regions throughout the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid industrialization and global warming have threatened the plants with multiple abiotic stresses, such as heavy metals and drought stress. For crop cultivation, the conventional approach of cleaning the soils by excavation is very costly and not feasible for large scale. Establishing toxin-free and droughtresistant crops is a major challenge in the environment under natural and anthropogenic pressure. In the past decades, copper contamination of agricultural land has become an emerging concern. For dry land reclamation, several new strategies, including bioremediation (phytoremediation and microbial remediation), have been used. Owing to the potential of Cu hyperaccumulators, the current project aims to enhance the drought tolerance and the phytoremediation potential of Solanum lycopersicum L. with the inoculation of copper and 12% polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced drought stress-tolerant endophytic fungus Porostereum spadiceum AGH786 under the combined stress of copper heavy metal and PEG-induced drought stress. When S. lycopersicum L. was watered with individual stress of copper (Cu) concentration (400 ppm) in the form of copper sulfate (CuSO4.5H2O), 12% PEG-induced drought stress and the combined stress of both negatively affected the growth attributes, hormonal, metabolic, and antioxidant potential, compared with control. However, the multistress-resistant AGH786 endophytic fungus ameliorated the multistress tolerance response in S. lycopersicum L. by positively affecting the growth attributes, hormonal, metabolic, and antioxidant potential, and by restricting the root-to-shoot translocation of Cu and inducing its sequestration in the root tissues of affected plants. AGH786-associated plants exhibited a reduction in the severity of copper (Cu) and drought stress, with higher levels of SlCOPT (Cu transporters) and SlMT (metallothionine) gene expressions in root and shoot tissues, indicating that AGH786 contributed to resistance to copper metal toxicity and drought stress in the host S. lycopersicum L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rusts comprises the largest natural group of plant pathogens including approximately 8% of all described Fungi. Rust fungi are extremely plant pathogens responsible for great losses to agriculture productivity. Rust species belong to several genera among which more than half are Puccinia species. In Pakistan, rust causes severe damage to agriculture crops. Current study was carried out to identify and characterize different rust species common in the research area through microscopy and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Morpho‐anatomical investigation of each collected rust species was carried out using different standard protocols. The dimensions of spores were measured and snapped under a stereomicroscope. SEM was used to examine the shape, size, and ornamentation of the spores of each rust fungus. Results revealed documentation of seven rust fungi, that is, Melampsora euphorbiae, Phragmidium barclayi, Puccinia nepalensis, P. exhausta, P. menthae, Uromyces capitatus, and Uromyces decorates belong to four different genera, were recorded. SEM revealed that spermogonia and Aecia were missing in most of the rust fungus studied. Uredinia was found in a scattered, irregular, lengthy, and epidermis‐enclosed form. Urediniospores were found to be ovulating, elongated, echinulate, globose to sub‐globose, ellipsoid to ovoid, and globose to sub‐globose. Telia was found as sub‐epidermal, amphigenous, dispersed, minute, and spherical cells. Teliospores ranged in form from cylindrical to oblong. The germ pores were detected in both apical (top cell) and basal (bottom cell) idiosyncratic and pedicel‐attached cells. The techniques used in the current investigation will aid mycologists in rust identification and microscopic characterization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants can be severely affected by heat stress due to rapid environmental changes. Use of endophytic fungi is a new tool to protect crops from the environmental stresses. Here we claim a potent endophyte isolated from Sonchus asper L. The aim was to explore the stress adaptive mechanism of sunflower and soybean mediated by Aspergillus niger (SonchL-7) under high temperature. Inoculation with A. niger boosted plant height, biomass and chlorophyl contents, while significantly curtailed the concentration of lipid peroxidation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) under thermal stress at 40°C. Moreover, the ROS-scavenging activities, like ascorbic acid oxidase (AAO), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) were augmented. Also, proline and phenolics were enhanced in the tested crops, while ABA concentration was significantly reduced. These positive results suggested that A. niger can be used as a heat-stress ameliorative tool for crops in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High temperature is one of the leading threats to the plants that severely affects crop quality as well as quantity. Endophytic fungi might be a new tool to safeguard crops against the perilous effects of global warming. In this context, we isolated a thermal stress mitigating endophytic fungus from the fern Dryopteris flix L. The phylogenetic study and 18S rRNA sequence similarity confrmed the potential strain as Aspergillus violaceofuscus. The culture fltrate of A. violaceofuscus exhibited higher concentration of secondary metabolites that enhanced the total chlorophyll content, plant height and biomass of sunfower and soybean seedlings under heat stress. Conversely, the A. violaceofuscus associated plants achieved low levels of reactive oxygen species, abscisic acid, catalase, ascorbic acid oxidase, proline and an overall improved the nutritional value. The current study suggests that A. violaceofuscus can be used as heat stress adaptive tool in crops to achieve sustainable agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salinity stress effect crops in various ways, leading from abnormalities in gene expression via changes at the cellular level to alterations in growth and development of the crop. Salinity greatly affects the crop productivity by inducing various complications in plants. In the current study, we have screened 69 soybean cultivars on the basis of their salinity resistance by devising an easy, rapid, reliable, and inexpensive screening technique. The growth, biomass and physiological parameters of the selected cultivars were measured after growing them for 42 days in hydroponic solution. The variations among the cultivars through selected parameters of the control and stressed plants were assessed to group the cultivars in three groups, i.e. highly susceptible (HS), susceptible (S), and tolerant (T). Certainly, the application of NaCl as a salt stress has significantly affected the root and shoot length, transpiration rate (TR), photosynthesis, chlorophyll contents, root and shoot weight, nodule weight in most of the soybean cultivars. Besides, few cultivars have retained the above mentioned growth parameters under the salinity stress conditions due to tolerance against saline conditions. Based upon the overall performance, 10 cultivars were found to be tolerant, 3 cultivars were susceptible and 56 cultivars were highly susceptible to salinity stress among the 69 tested cultivars of soybean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 149,551 cases of diarrheal infections, 142,739 case of skin infections, 132,485 cases of acute respiratory illness and 49,420 probable malaria cases were recently reported in flood-affected areas of Pakistan (Ochani et al., [3]). Currently, Pakistan is experiencing monsoon rainfall that is three times greater than usual, according to the World Weather Attribution (WWA, [6]). Authorities should take infection-control measures based on local weather conditions, extent of flooding and the ease of transmission of infection. [Extracted from the article]

Fungal endophytes can establish beneficial relationship with the host plants. The endophytes help in the growth of host plants under stress conditions by secreting various bioactive compounds. To discover potent endophytes, we have isolated some of the fungi from medicinally important plant Caralluma acutangula. The isolated endophytes were assessed for extra-cellular enzymes [1-aminocyclopropane-'- carboxylate (ACC) deaminase, cellulases, phosphatases and glucosidases)] and IAA production. The potent endophytes have been identified as Paecilomyces variotii, Pénicillium purpurogenum and Epicoccum nigrum on the basis of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region homology. The endophytic strains P. variotii and E. nigrum have produced IAA, phosphatases and glucosidases in significantly higher amounts. Whereas, a higher activity of ACC deaminase (300 nmol a- ketobutyrate mg-1 h-1) have been noticed in P. purpurogenum and P. variotii. The production of IAA, ACC deaminase, celluloses, phosphatases and glucosidases by the isolated endophytes concludes that they can support the host plants under stress conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have isolated an endophytic fungus with heat stress alleviation potential from wild plant Euphorbia indica L. The phylogenetic analysis and 18S rDNA sequence homology revealed that the designated isolate was Aspergillus japonicus EuR-26. Analysis of A. japonicus culture filtrate displayed higher concentrations of salicylic acid (SA), indoleacetic acid (IAA), flavonoids, and phenolics. Furthermore, A. japonicus association with soybean and sunflower had improved plant biomass and other growth features under high temperature stress (40°C) in comparison to endophyte-free plants. In fact, endophytic association mitigated heat stress by negotiating the activities of abscisic acid, catalase, and ascorbic acid oxidase in both soybean and sunflower. The nutritional quality (phenolic, flavonoids, soluble sugars, proteins, and lipids) of the A. japonicus-associated seedlings has also improved under heat stress in comparison to endophyte-free plants. From the results, it is concluded that A. japonicus can modulate host plants growth under heat stress and can be used as thermal stress alleviator in arid and semiarid regions of the globe (where mean summer temperature exceeds 40°C) to sustain agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flooding is an abiotic stress that creates hypoxic conditions triggered by redox potential leading to restricted growth and grain yield in plants. In the current study, we have investigated the effect of exogenous gibberellins (GA4+7) on soybean under flooding stress. A regulatory role of GAs on biochemical changes in soybean plants [including chlorophyll contents, endogenous bioactive GA1 and GA4, endogenous jasmonic acid ( JA) and abscisic acid (ABA)] has been elucidated after 3 and 6 h of flooding stress. The modulation of stress-related bio-chemicals and their genetic determinants [for instance, ABA (Timing of CAB expression1-TOC1, ABA-receptor-ABAR) and NO (S-nitrosoglutathione reductase-GSNOR1, NO overproducer1-NOX, and nitrite reductase-NR)] in response to short-term flooding stress were also explored. The current study showed that exogenous GAs rescued chlorophyll contents, enhanced endogenous bioactive GA1 and GA4 levels, endogenous jasmonic acid ( JA) and checked the rate of ABA biosynthesis under short-term flooding. The exo-GAs induced the glutathione activity and reduced the resulting superoxide anion contents during short-term flooding in Pungsannamul soybean. Exo-GAs also triggered the endogenous S-nitrosothiols (precursor for increased NO production) that have been decreased over the time. Moreover, the exo-GAs could impinge a variety of biochemical and transcriptional programs that are ameliorative to plant growth during short-term flooding stress. The presence of GA1 and GA4 also confirms the presence of both C13-hydroxylation pathway and non-C13-hydroxylation pathway in soybean, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodegradation of hazardous pollutants is of immense importance for maintaining a clean environment. However, the concentration of such contaminants/pollutants can be minimized with the help of microorganisms that has the ability to degrade the toxic pollutants into non-toxic metabolites. In the current study, 23 bacterial isolates were purified from the rhizospheric soil of Sysimbrium irio, growing as a wild plant in the vicinity of gas filling stations in Peshawar city. The isolated strains were initially screened on solid nutrient agar and further purified by culturing it on anthracene amended mineral media (PNR). The bacterial growth and anthracene disappearance were observed by calculating optical density (OD). The isolates showed a concentration-dependent growth on anthracene amended PNR media at 30°C and pH7. Also, an increase in bacterial OD from 0.351 to 1.80 with increased shaking speed was noticed. On the contrary, alternate carbon sources (glucose, fructose, sucrose) or nitrogen sources (KNO3, NaNO3, NH4NO3 and CaNO3) posed inhibitory effect on bacterial growth during anthracene degradation. The recorded efficiency of anthracene degradation by the selected bacterial isolate (1.4×1023 CFUmL-1 and 1.80 OD) was 82.29%, after 120 h of incubation. The anthracene was degraded to 9, 10, dihydroxy-anthracene and anthraquinone, detected through GC-MS. The efficient bacterial isolate was identified as S13, a new strain of Bacillus cereus, using 16S rRNA analysis, showing 98% homology. The isolated bacterial strain S13 may be used as a potential tool for bioremediation of toxic hydrocarbons and to keep the environment free from PAH pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant growth and gibberellins (GAs) biosynthesis are two separate but linked processes, involving many genes but fewer have been reported for their role in plant growth and development. Due to little information on the genes involved in such processes, the known plant growth promoting and GAs producing fungal endophytePenicillium citrinumKACC43900 was used as potential tool to obtain a blueprint of the putative growth promoting and GAs synthesizing proteins. For proteomic analysis, the seedlings ofGlehnia littoraliswere treated with culture filtrate ofP. citrinumKACC43900, which revealed significant differences between 2 dimensional gel electrophoresis profile of the crude protein extracts of the treated and control samples. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization analysis of the 56 selected spots led to the identification of 41 proteins. A significant number (31.5%) of these highly expressed proteins were associated with plant growth regulation, including beta-expansin EXPB4, ent-kaur 16-ene synthase, gibberellin 3-oxidase, and cytochrome P450 family proteins. Proteins involved in regulating energy metabolism and intracellular redox conditions, such as glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and ribulose-1,5-bisphospahate carboxylase/oxygenase, were also expressed. It was concluded that culture filtrate ofP. citrinumKACC43900 altered the gene expression pattern of hostG. littoralis. Current study highlighted the importance of proteomics as a starting tool for any post-genomic research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]