Root-associated Bacillus spp. Modulates Plant Flavonoids, Phenolics, Proteins, and Enhances Osmotic Stress Tolerance in Mustard
摘要
Rhizobacteria can influence plant’s performance under environmental stresses. Root colonization, vital for establishing plant-rhizobacterial association, is impacted under suboptimal environmental conditions. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of osmotic stress on the interactions between mustard plants and rhizobacteria. Exposure to osmotic stress resulted in a reduction in the adsorption (29–35%) and anchorage (73-74.7%) of Bacillus cereus NAD-7 and B. casamancensis MKS-6 to mustard roots. Mustard-rhizobacteria interactions under osmotic stress altered the sugar monomer composition in exopolysaccharides secreted by rhizobacteria. Notably, there was an increase in fructose and mannose content in both rhizobacteria and glucose in MKS-6. Protein profiling showed that under osmotic stress, 39 proteins in B. cereus NAD-7 and 19 in B. casamancensis MKS-6 were unique. Rhizobacteria also affected the root exudation pattern under osmotic stress, resulting in increased phenolics and flavonoids in the exudates of inoculated plants, specifically diadzein, naringenin, genistein, quercetin, vanillic acid, caffeic acid, and ferulic acid. Furthermore, several proteins were upregulated in inoculated plants under stress. Specifically, there were three and two unique proteins, and eight and nine upregulated proteins in stressed plants inoculated with B. cereus NAD-7 and B. casamancensis MKS-6, respectively. Therefore, the modifications in rhizobacterial exopolysaccharides, changes in phenolics composition of root exudates and altered protein profiles in inoculated plants under osmotic stress likely contributed to enhanced mitigation in the host plant.