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IAA producing Bacillus altitudinis alleviates iron stress in Triticum aestivum L. seedling by both bioleaching of iron and up-regulation of genes encoding ferritins

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Abstract

Background and Aims

Many microbes are beneficial to plants and are termed as plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB). This study explores the effect and mechanism of endophytic bacteria on wheat iron stress.

Methods

Bacteria and wheat seedlings were hydroponically co-cultured under different concentrations of iron. Growth parameters were measured and transcriptions of ferritins as well as transporters were quantified by real-time quantitative PCR.

Results

An endophytic Bacillus altitudinis WR10 was isolated from the root of Triticum aestivum L. The strain is resistant to 5 mM iron and it bioleaches more than 80% iron after 24 h of incubation. Meanwhile, WR10 produces as much as 35pM indole 3 acetic acid (IAA) during fermentation but there was no accumulation of cytokinin (zeatin to be precise). Inoculation of WR10 significantly improves the growth of the primary root and main sprout in wheat seedlings in a co-culture model under iron stress after two weeks hydroponic cultivation. The presence of WR10 up-regulates the expression of many genes encoding ferritins in wheat roots under iron stress.

Conclusions

Besides its ability to bioleach iron, IAA producing B. altitudinis WR10 can alleviate iron stress in wheat by up-regulation of ferritin-encoded genes in roots, which is important for maintaining iron homeostasis.

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Abbreviations

B. altitudinis :

Bacillus altitudinis

CTKs:

Cytokinins

ELISA:

Enzyme Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay

IAA:

Indole 3 Acetic Acid

PGPB:

Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria

T. aestivum :

Triticum aestivum L.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge Dr. Hongzhan Liu from Zhoukou Normal University for sharing both seeds and Triticum aestivum L. zhoumai 26 seedlings. This study was partially funded by the Plan For Scientific Innovation Talent of Henan Province (No. 124100510021) to C. Li. Z. Sun received an international cooperation grant from Henan Province Science and Technology Agency (No. 172102410055). K. Liu received a grant from the key scientific and technological project of Henan province (No. 152102410074). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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  1. Zhongke Sun and Kun Liu contributed equally to the paper.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Plant Genetics and Molecular Breeding, Zhoukou Normal University, Zhoukou, 466001, China

    Zhongke Sun, Kun Liu, Ju Zhang, Yi Zhang, Kedong Xu, Deshui Yu, Jian Wang & Chengwei Li

  2. College of Life Sciences and Agronomy, Zhoukou Normal University, Zhoukou, 466001, China

    Zhongke Sun, Lizong Hu & Long Chen

  3. Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, 453003, China

    Chengwei Li

  4. Zhoukou Normal University, Room 202, Life Science Building, East Wenchang Road, Chuanhui District, Zhoukou, 466001, China

    Chengwei Li

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  1. Zhongke Sun
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  2. Kun Liu
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  3. Ju Zhang
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Sun, Z., Liu, K., Zhang, J. et al. IAA producing Bacillus altitudinis alleviates iron stress in Triticum aestivum L. seedling by both bioleaching of iron and up-regulation of genes encoding ferritins. Plant Soil 419, 1–11 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-017-3218-9

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