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Interaction of Plants and Endophytic Microorganisms: Molecular Aspects, Biological Functions, Community Composition, and Practical Applications Ⅱ

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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 November 2023) | Viewed by 18430

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Olga A. Aleynova

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Laboratory of Biotechnology, Federal Scientific Center of the East Asia Terrestrial Biodiversity, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 690022 Vladivostok, Russia
Interests: gene expression; Vitis amurensis; calcium depended protein kinases; resveratrol; stilbene; Arabidopsis thaliana; phytopathogens; endophytes; biotic stress; abiotic stress; plant yield; symbiotic microor
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Dr. Konstantin V. Kiselev

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Laboratory of Biotechnology, Federal Scientific Center of the East Asia Terrestrial Biodiversity, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 690022 Vladivostok, Russia
Interests: plant secondary metabolism; stilbenes; plant gene expression; plant cell cultures; calcium signaling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Endophytes are an endosymbionts, often a bacterium or fungus that resides within a plant without causing apparent disease. They are ubiquitous and have been isolated from almost all plants examined to date. However, most of the endophyte and plant relationships are not well understood, especially in molecular and biochemical aspects. Plant–microbe interactions are not exclusively mutualistic, since endophytic fungi can potentially become pathogens or saprotrophs, usually when the host plant is under stress conditions. At the same time, some endophytes may enhance plant host growth, nutrient acquisition, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, and improve plant abiotic and biotic stress tolerance.

This Special Issue "Interaction of plants and endophytic microorganisms: molecular aspects, biological functions, community composition, and practical applications" was created to collect scientific publications devoted to understanding plant–endophyte interactions. The works related to the study of physiological and molecular aspects of such interactions, biological functions, and practical applications will be interesting. This Special Issue aims to gather recent advances in studying the participation of various chemical compounds (stress hormones, secondary metabolites, small RNAs, etc.) in the plant–endophyte interactions. Another important goal is to discuss in more detail possible and actual applications of the knowledge in agriculture and biotechnology.

Dr. Olga A. Aleynova
Dr. Konstantin V. Kiselev
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

bacteria
crop productivity and protection
fungi
viruses
endophytes
phytopathogens
symbiotic microorganisms
gene expression
siRNA
protein–protein interactions
secondary metabolism
biotic stress
abiotic stress
drought
salinity
decrease biotic stresses by enhancing plant resistance to insects, pathogens and herbivores

Related Special Issue

Interaction of Plants and Endophytic Microorganisms: Molecular Aspects, Biological Functions, Community Composition, and Practical Applications in Plants (19 articles)

Published Papers (12 papers)

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23 pages, 5863 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phytohormone Production by the Endophyte Bacillus safensis TS3 Increases Plant Yield and Alleviates Salt Stress

by Vladimir K. Chebotar, Alexander N. Zaplatkin, Elena P. Chizhevskaya, Maria S. Gancheva, Gerben P. Voshol, Natalia V. Malfanova, Maria E. Baganova, Yuriy V. Khomyakov and Veronika N. Pishchik

Plants 2024, 13(1), 75; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13010075 - 26 Dec 2023

Viewed by 910

Abstract

Endophytic bacteria can be used to overcome the effect of salinity stress and promote plant growth and nutrient uptake. Bacillus safensis colonizes a wide range of habitats due to survival in extreme environments and unique physiological characteristics, such as a high tolerance for salt, heavy metals, and ultraviolet and gamma radiations. The aim of our study was to examine the salt resistance of the endophytic strain TS3 B. safensis and its ability to produce phytohormones and verify its effect on plant yield in field trials and the alleviation of salt stress in pot experiments. We demonstrate that the strain TS3 is capable of producing enzymes and phytohormones such as IAA, ABA and tZ. In pot experiments with radish and oat plants in salinization, the strain TS3 contributed to the partial removal of the negative effect of salinization. The compensatory effect of the strain TS3 on radish plants during salinization was 46.7%, and for oats, it was 108%. We suppose that such a pronounced effect on the plants grown and the salt stress is connected with its ability to produce phytohormones. Genome analysis of the strain TS3 showed the presence of the necessary genes for the synthesis of compounds responsible for the alleviation of the salt stress. Strain B. safensis TS3 can be considered a promising candidate for developing biofertilizer to alleviate salt stress and increase plant yield. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction of Plants and Endophytic Microorganisms: Molecular Aspects, Biological Functions, Community Composition, and Practical Applications Ⅱ)

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15 pages, 1887 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fusarium Wilt Invasion Results in a Strong Impact on Strawberry Microbiomes

by Hongjun Yang, Xu Zhang, Xiaohong Qiu, Jiajia Chen, Yuanhua Wang, Geng Zhang, Sizhen Jia, Xiangqi Shen, Wenwu Ye and Zhiming Yan

Plants 2023, 12(24), 4153; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12244153 - 13 Dec 2023

Viewed by 733

Abstract

Plant-endophytic microbes affect plant growth, development, nutrition, and resistance to pathogens. However, how endophytic microbial communities change in different strawberry plant compartments after Fusarium pathogen infection has remained elusive. In this study, 16S and internal transcribed spacer rRNA amplicon sequencing were used to systematically investigate changes in the bacterial and fungal diversity and composition in the endophytic compartments (roots, stems, and leaves) of healthy strawberries and strawberries with Fusarium wilt, respectively. The analysis of the diversity, structure, and composition of the bacterial and fungal communities revealed a strong effect of pathogen invasion on the endophytic communities. The bacterial and fungal community diversity was lower in the Fusarium-infected endophytic compartments than in the healthy samples. The relative abundance of certain bacterial and fungal genera also changed after Fusarium wilt infection. The relative abundance of the beneficial bacterial genera Bacillus, Bradyrhizobium, Methylophilus, Sphingobium, Lactobacillus, and Streptomyces, as well as fungal genera Acremonium, Penicillium, Talaromyces, and Trichoderma, were higher in the healthy samples than in the Fusarium wilt samples. The relative abundance of Fusarium in the infected samples was significantly higher than that in the healthy samples, consistent with the field observations and culture isolation results for strawberry wilt. Our findings provide a theoretical basis for the isolation, identification, and control of strawberry wilt disease. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction of Plants and Endophytic Microorganisms: Molecular Aspects, Biological Functions, Community Composition, and Practical Applications Ⅱ)

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14 pages, 2211 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Fungus Beauveria bassiana Alters Amounts of Sterols, Fatty Acids, and Hydroxycinnamic Acids in Potato Solanum tuberosum

by Maksim Tyurin, Elena Chernyak, Oksana Tomilova, Khristina Tolokonnikova, Svetlana M. Malysh, Elena Khramova, Sergey Morozov and Vadim Kryukov

Plants 2023, 12(23), 3938; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12233938 - 22 Nov 2023

Viewed by 815

Abstract

The entomopathogenic endophytic fungus Beauveria bassiana can colonize plants resulting in growth promotion and protection against phytopathogenic microorganisms. However, physiological changes in potato plants (Solanum tuberosum) during this interaction are poorly understood. In the present work, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography were used to analyze sterol, fatty acid, and phenolic acid concentrations in potato plants inoculated with B. bassiana conidia in soil. We showed an increase in amounts of stigmasterol, minor sterol compounds, and some hydroxy fatty acids in leaves after the fungal treatment. Moreover, levels of hydroxycinnamic acids, especially chlorogenic acid, were elevated in roots following the B. bassiana inoculation. We propose that these changes could have been caused by oxidative reactions, and the alterations may have resulted in growth-stimulatory and protective effects of B. bassiana on the plants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction of Plants and Endophytic Microorganisms: Molecular Aspects, Biological Functions, Community Composition, and Practical Applications Ⅱ)

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17 pages, 14398 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Endophyte Community Changes in the Seeds of Eight Plant Species following Inoculation with a Multi-Endophytic Bacterial Consortium and an Individual Sphingomonas wittichii Strain Obtained from Noccaea caerulescens

by Tori Langill, Małgorzata Wójcik, Jaco Vangronsveld and Sofie Thijs

Plants 2023, 12(20), 3660; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12203660 - 23 Oct 2023

Viewed by 973

Abstract

Noccaea caerulescens, a hyperaccumulator plant species known for its metal tolerance and accumulation abilities, harbours a microbiome of interest within its seed. These seed-associated bacteria, often referred to as seed endophytes, play a unique role in seed germination and plant growth and health. This work aimed to address how inoculating seeds of eight different plant species—Medicago sativa (alfalfa), Zea mays (corn), Raphanus sativus (radish), Helianthus annus (sunflower), Cucurbita pepo subsp. pepo (squash), Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla (rainbow chard), Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress), and Noccaea caerulescens (penny cress)—with a bacterial consortium made from the seed endophytes of N. caerulescens would affect the seed microbiome of each test plant species, as well as inoculation with a strain of the bacterium Sphingomonas wittichii, which was previously isolated from seeds of N. caerulescens. Additionally, we aimed to offer preliminary plant tests in order to determine the best seed treatment plan for future research. The results showed that inoculation with the bacterial consortium held the most potential for increasing plant size (p < 0.001) and increasing germination rate (p < 0.05). The plant that responded best to inoculation was N. caerulescens (penny cress), likely because the microbes being introduced into the seed were not foreign. This paper also offers the first insight into the seed endophytes of Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla, highlighting an abundance of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteriota. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction of Plants and Endophytic Microorganisms: Molecular Aspects, Biological Functions, Community Composition, and Practical Applications Ⅱ)

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22 pages, 3978 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Endophytic Microbiome of Wild Grapevines Vitis amurensis Rupr. and Vitis coignetiae Pulliat Growing in the Russian Far East

by Olga A. Aleynova, Nikolay N. Nityagovsky, Alexey A. Ananev, Andrey R. Suprun, Zlata V. Ogneva, Alina A. Dneprovskaya, Alina A. Beresh, Alexey P. Tyunin, Alexandra S. Dubrovina and Konstantin V. Kiselev

Plants 2023, 12(16), 2952; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12162952 - 15 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1215

Abstract

Many grape endophytic microorganisms exhibit high potential for suppressing the development of grape diseases and stimulating grapevine growth and fitness, as well as beneficial properties of the crop. The microbiome of wild grapevines is a promising source of biocontrol agents, which can be beneficial for domesticated grapevines. Using next-generation sequencing (NGS) and classical microbiology techniques, we performed an analysis of bacterial and fungal endophytic communities of wild grapevines Vitis amurensis Rupr. and Vitis coignetiae Pulliat growing in the Russian Far East. According to the NGS analysis, 24 and 18 bacterial taxa from the class level were present in V. amurensis and V. coignetiae grapevines, respectively. Gammaproteobacteria (35%) was the predominant class of endophytic bacteria in V. amurensis and Alphaproteobacteria (46%) in V. coignetiae. Three taxa, namely Sphingomonas, Methylobacterium, and Hymenobacter, were the most common bacterial genera for V. amurensis and V. coignetiae. Metagenomic analysis showed the presence of 23 and 22 fungi and fungus-like taxa of class level in V. amurensis and V. coignetiae, respectively. The predominant fungal classes were Dothideomycetes (61–65%) and Tremellomycetes (10–11%), while Cladosporium and Aureobasidium were the most common fungal genera in V. amurensis and V. coignetiae, respectively. A comparative analysis of the endophytic communities of V. amurensis and V. coignetiae with the previously reported endophytic communities of V. vinifera revealed that the bacterial biodiversity of V. amurensis and V. coignetiae was similar in alpha diversity to V. vinifera’s bacterial biodiversity. The fungal alpha diversity of V. amurensis and V. coignetiae was statistically different from that of V. vinifera. The beta diversity analysis of bacterial and fungal endophytes showed that samples of V. vinifera formed separate clusters, while V. amurensis samples formed a separate cluster including V. coignetiae samples. The data revealed that the endophytic community of bacteria and fungi from wild V. amurensis was richer than that from V. coignetiae grapes and cultivated V. vinifera grapes. Therefore, the data obtained in this work could be of high value in the search for potentially useful microorganisms for viticulture. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction of Plants and Endophytic Microorganisms: Molecular Aspects, Biological Functions, Community Composition, and Practical Applications Ⅱ)

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13 pages, 1186 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Antifungal Activity of Glucosinolate-Derived Nitriles and Their Synergistic Activity with Glucosinolate-Derived Isothiocyanates Distinguishes Various Taxa of Brassicaceae Endophytes and Soil Fungi

by Zsolt Szűcs, Tamás Plaszkó, Eszter Bódor, Hajnalka Csoma, Lajos Ács-Szabó, Attila Kiss-Szikszai, Gábor Vasas and Sándor Gonda

Plants 2023, 12(14), 2741; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12142741 - 24 Jul 2023

Viewed by 874

Abstract

The glucosinolates of Brassicaceae plants are converted into bioactive isothiocyanates and other volatiles during a challenge by pathogens and other biotic stressors. However, the role of alternative downstream products with weaker potency (e.g., nitriles) is far from being fully understood. This study tested the possible synergistic antifungal interaction between various glucosinolate-derived nitriles and 2-phenylethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) on 45 fungal strains, including endophytes from horseradish roots (Brassicaceae) and soil fungi, using an airtight system enabling the accurate study of extremely volatile antifungal agents. The median minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were 1.28, 6.10, 27.00 and 49.72 mM for 1H-indole-3-acetonitrile (IAN), 3-phenylpropanenitrile (PPN), 4-(methylsulfanyl)-butanenitrile (MSBN) and 3-butenenitrile (BN, = allyl cyanide), respectively. Thus, nitriles were considerably weaker antifungal agents compared to PEITC with a median MIC of 0.04 mM. For the same nitriles, the median fractional inhibitory concentration indices (FICIs) of the combinations were 0.562, 0.531, 0.562 and 0.625, respectively. Altogether, 47.7%, 56.8%, 50.0% and 27.3% of tested fungal strains showed a synergistic antifungal activity (FICI ≤ 0.5) for the nitrile–isothiocyanate combinations, respectively. Hypocreales strains showed the least sensitivity towards the GSL decomposition products and their combinations. The mean MIC values for PEITC showed 0.0679 ± 0.0358, 0.0400 ± 0.0214, 0.0319 ± 0.0087 and 0.0178 ± 0.0171 mM for Hypocreales, Eurotiales, Glomerellales and Pleosporales, respectively. In addition, nitriles, especially IAN, also showed significant differences. For the same fungi, the median FICI values fell in the ranges of 0.61–0.67, 0.52–0.61, 0.40–0.50 and 0.48–0.67, respectively, depending on the nitrile. Our results suggest that glucosinolate-derived nitriles may enhance isothiocyanate antifungal activity and that they may play an active role in shaping the plant microbiome and contribute to the filtering of microbes by plants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction of Plants and Endophytic Microorganisms: Molecular Aspects, Biological Functions, Community Composition, and Practical Applications Ⅱ)

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16 pages, 1790 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nodule Synthetic Bacterial Community as Legume Biofertilizer under Abiotic Stress in Estuarine Soils

by Noris J. Flores-Duarte, Salvadora Navarro-Torre, Enrique Mateos-Naranjo, Susana Redondo-Gómez, Eloísa Pajuelo and Ignacio D. Rodríguez-Llorente

Plants 2023, 12(11), 2083; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12112083 - 24 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1135

Abstract

Estuaries are ecologically important ecosystems particularly affected by climate change and human activities. Our interest is focused on the use of legumes to fight against the degradation of estuarine soils and loss of fertility under adverse conditions. This work was aimed to determine the potential of a nodule synthetic bacterial community (SynCom), including two Ensifer sp. and two Pseudomonas sp. strains isolated from Medicago spp. nodules, to promote M. sativa growth and nodulation in degraded estuarine soils under several abiotic stresses, including high metal contamination, salinity, drought and high temperature. These plant growth promoting (PGP) endophytes were able to maintain and even increase their PGP properties in the presence of metals. Inoculation with the SynCom in pots containing soil enhanced plant growth parameters (from 3- to 12-fold increase in dry weight), nodulation (from 1.5- to 3-fold increase in nodules number), photosynthesis and nitrogen content (up to 4-fold under metal stress) under all the controlled conditions tested. The increase in plant antioxidant enzymatic activities seems to be a common and important mechanism of plant protection induced by the SynCom under abiotic stress conditions. The SynCom increased M. sativa metals accumulation in roots, with low levels of metals translocation to shoots. Results indicated that the SynCom used in this work is an appropriate ecological and safe tool to improve Medicago growth and adaptation to degraded estuarine soils under climate change conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction of Plants and Endophytic Microorganisms: Molecular Aspects, Biological Functions, Community Composition, and Practical Applications Ⅱ)

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15 pages, 484 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization of the Mechanism of Action of Serratia rubidaea Mar61-01 against Botrytis cinerea in Strawberries

by Zahra Alijani, Jahanshir Amini, Kaivan Karimi and Ilaria Pertot

Plants 2023, 12(1), 154; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12010154 - 29 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1861

Abstract

Several bacterial strains belonging to Serratia spp. possess biocontrol capability, both against phytopathogens and human pathogenic species, thanks to the production of secondary metabolites, including as a red-pink, non-diffusible pigment, 2-methyl-3-pentyl-6-methoxyprodiginine (prodigiosin). Botrytis cinerea is the causal agent of gray mold, which is an economically relevant disease of many crops worldwide. Gray mold is normally controlled by chemical fungicides, but the environmental and health concerns about the overuse of pesticides call for environmentally friendly approaches, such as the use of biocontrol agents. In this study, the efficacy of a specific strain of Serratia rubidaea (Mar61-01) and its metabolite prodigiosin were assessed against B. cinerea under in vitro and in vivo conditions. This strain was effective against B. cinerea, and the effect of prodigiosin was confirmed under in vitro and in vivo conditions. The strain suppressed mycelial growth of B. cinerea (71.72%) in the dual-culture method. The volatile compounds produced by the strain inhibited mycelial growth and conidia germination of B. cinerea by 65.01% and 71.63%, respectively. Efficacy of prodigiosin produced by S. rubidaea Mar61-01 on mycelial biomass of B. cinerea was 94.15% at the highest concentration tested (420 µg/mL). The effect of prodigiosin on plant enzymes associated with induction of resistance was also studied, indicating that the activity of polyphenol oxidase (PPO), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) were increased when prodigiosin was added to the B. cinerea inoculum on strawberry fruits, while catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) did not change. In addition, the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by S. rubidaea Mar61-01 reduced mycelial growth and inhibited conidial germination of B. cinerea in vitro. The findings confirmed the relevant role of prodigiosin produced by S. rubidaea Mar61-01 in the biocontrol of B. cinerea of strawberries, but also indicate that there are multiple mechanisms of action, where the VOCs produced by the bacterium and the plant-defense reaction may contribute to the control of the phytopathogen. Serratia rubidaea Mar61-01 could be a suitable strain, both to enlarge our knowledge about the potential of Serratia as a biocontrol agent of B. cinerea and to develop new biofungicides to protect strawberries in post-harvest biocontrol. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction of Plants and Endophytic Microorganisms: Molecular Aspects, Biological Functions, Community Composition, and Practical Applications Ⅱ)

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13 pages, 1681 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nematicidal, Acaricidal and Plant Growth-Promoting Activity of Enterobacter Endophytic Strains and Identification of Genes Associated with These Biological Activities in the Genomes

by Bernardo Sachman-Ruíz, Arnoldo Wong-Villarreal, Liliana Aguilar-Marcelino, Luis Fernando Lozano-Aguirre, Saúl Espinosa-Zaragoza, Ana Laura Reyes-Reyes, Diana Sanzón-Gómez, Ana Isabel Mireles-Arriaga, Rodrigo Romero-Tirado, Marisol Karina Rocha-Martínez, Juan Diego Pérez-de la Rosa, Ricardo Sánchez-Cruz and Jaime Adriel Gómez-Gutiérrez

Plants 2022, 11(22), 3136; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11223136 - 16 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1548

Abstract

In the present study, the nematicidal and acaricidal activity of three Enterobacter endophytic strains isolated from Mimosa pudica nodules was evaluated. The percentages of mortality of Enterobacter NOD4 against Panagrellus redivivus was 81.2%, and against Nacobbus aberrans 70.1%, Enterobacter NOD8 72.4% and 62.5%, and Enterobacter NOD10 64.8% and 58.7%, respectively. While against the Tyrophagus putrescentiae mite, the mortality percentages were 68.2% due to Enterobacter NOD4, 64.3% due to Enterobacter NOD8 and 77.8% due to Enterobacter NOD10. On the other hand, the ability of the three Enterobacter strains to produce indole acetic acid and phosphate solubilization, characteristics related to plant growth-promoting bacteria, was detected. Bioinformatic analysis of the genomes showed the presence of genes related to IAA production, phosphate solubilization, and nitrogen fixation. Phylogenetic analyzes of the recA gene, phylogenomics, and average nucleotide identity (ANI) allowed us to identify the strain Enterobacter NOD8 related to E. mori and Enterobacter NOD10 as E. asburiae, while Enterobacter NOD4 was identified as a possible new species of this species. The plant growth-promoting, acaricidal and nematicidal activity of the three Enterobacter strains makes them a potential agent to include in biocontrol alternatives and as growth-promoting bacteria in crops of agricultural interest. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction of Plants and Endophytic Microorganisms: Molecular Aspects, Biological Functions, Community Composition, and Practical Applications Ⅱ)

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16 pages, 5865 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Diversity of Fungal Endophytes from Wild Grape Vitis amurensis Rupr

by Olga A. Aleynova, Nikolay N. Nityagovsky, Andrey R. Suprun, Alexey A. Ananev, Alexandra S. Dubrovina and Konstantin V. Kiselev

Plants 2022, 11(21), 2897; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11212897 - 28 Oct 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1455

Abstract

Grapevine endophytic fungi have great potential for application in agriculture and represent an important source of various compounds with valuable biological activities. Wild grapevine is known to host a great number of rare and unidentified endophytes and may represent a rich repository of potential vineyard biocontrol agents. This investigation aimed to study the fungal endophytic community of wild grape Vitis amurensis Rupr. using a cultivation-dependent (fungi sowing) and a cultivation-independent (next-generation sequencing, NGS) approach. A comprehensive analysis of the endophytic fungal community in different organs of V. amurensis and under different environmental conditions has been performed. According to the NGS analysis, 12 taxa of class level were presented in different grapevine organs (stem, leaf, berry, seed). Among the 12 taxa, sequences of two fungal classes were the most represented: Dothideomycetes—60% and Tremellomycetes—33%. The top five taxa included Vishniacozyma, Aureobasidiaceae, Cladosporium, Septoria and Papiliotrema. The highest number of fungal isolates and sequences were detected in the grape leaves. The present data also revealed that lower temperatures and increased precipitation favored the number and diversity of endophytic fungi in the wild Amur grape. The number of fungi recovered from grape tissues in autumn was two times higher than in summer. Thus, this study is the first to describe and analyze the biodiversity of the endophytic fungal community in wild grapevine V. amurensis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction of Plants and Endophytic Microorganisms: Molecular Aspects, Biological Functions, Community Composition, and Practical Applications Ⅱ)

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Review

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21 pages, 1267 KiB

Open AccessReview

Brassicaceae Fungi and Chromista Diseases: Molecular Detection and Host–Plant Interaction

by Marwa Mourou, Maria Luisa Raimondo, Francesco Lops and Antonia Carlucci

Plants 2023, 12(5), 1033; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12051033 - 24 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 5466 | Correction

Abstract

Brassicaceae plants cover a large number of species with great economic and nutritional importance around the world. The production of Brassica spp. is limited due to phytopathogenic fungal species causing enormous yield losses. In this scenario, precise and rapid detection and identification of plant-infecting fungi are essential to facilitate the effective management of diseases. DNA-based molecular methods have become popular methods for accurate plant disease diagnostics and have been used to detect Brassicaceae fungal pathogens. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays including nested, multiplex, quantitative post, and isothermal amplification methods represent a powerful weapon for early detection of fungal pathogens and preventively counteract diseases on brassicas with the aim to drastically reduce the fungicides as inputs. It is noteworthy also that Brassicaceae plants can establish a wide variety of relationships with fungi, ranging from harmful interactions with pathogens to beneficial associations with endophytic fungi. Thus, understanding host and pathogen interaction in brassica crops prompts better disease management. The present review reports the main fungal diseases of Brassicaceae, molecular methods used for their detection, review studies on the interaction between fungi and brassicas plants, and the various mechanisms involved including the application of omics technologies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction of Plants and Endophytic Microorganisms: Molecular Aspects, Biological Functions, Community Composition, and Practical Applications Ⅱ)

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