Antarctic Mokoshia spp. Enhance Growth and Cadmium Stress Tolerance in Nicotiana Species
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Plant Physiology and Biochemistry |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| web | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110808 |
| Doi | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110808 |
| Keywords | Plant growth-promoting bacteria; Mokoshia rubra; Mokoshia mucilaginosa; Cadmium stress; Nicotiana tabacum; Nicotiana benthamiana; phytoremediation; Antioxidant defense system; Heavy metal tolerance; Sustainable agriculture |
| Attached files | |
| Description | Cadmium (Cd) contamination severely limits plant growth and agricultural productivity, emphasizing the need for sustainable approaches to mitigate heavy metal stress. This study assessed the plant growth–promoting potential of two Antarctic bacterial strains, Mokoshia rubra and M. mucilaginosa, in enhancing growth and Cd tolerance of Nicotiana tabacum and N. benthamiana. Both strains exhibited strong Cd resistance and key plant growth–promoting traits, including indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production, phosphate solubilization, siderophore secretion, and nitrogen fixation. Inoculation with M. rubra or M. mucilaginosa mitigated Cd-induced declines in biomass, photosynthetic performance, and antioxidant capacity. Improvements in chlorophyll fluorescence parameters related to photosystem II (PSII) efficiency and in leaf spectral vitality indices indicated enhanced physiological stability under stress. Biochemical analyses further revealed that inoculated plants maintained higher chlorophyll, carotenoid, soluble sugar, and protein levels while limiting excessive accumulation of proline and total phenols. Activities of antioxidant enzymes—superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX)—were markedly elevated, contributing to effective reactive oxygen species (ROS) detoxification. Overall, Mokoshia strains significantly improved Cd stress tolerance in Nicotiana species, highlighting their potential as eco-friendly bioinoculants for sustainable crop production in metal-contaminated soils. |
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