Community Profiling of Seed Endophytes from the Pb-Zn Hyperaccumulator Noccaea caerulescens and Their Plant Growth Promotion Potential

• Published in: Plants (Basel) Vol. 12; no. 3; p. 643
• Main Authors: Langill, Tori, Jorissen, Lambert-Paul, Oleńska, Ewa, Wójcik, Małgorzata, Vangronsveld, Jaco, Thijs, Sofie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01.02.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Bacteria; Biomass; community profiling; Community structure; Endophytes; Flowers & plants; Germination; growth promotion; Heavy metals; Microbiomes; Noccaea caerulescens; Pathogens; Pb-Zn hyperaccumulator; Plant growth; seed endophytes; Seed germination; Seeds; Taxonomy; Zinc; Belgium; growth promotion; community profiling; Noccaea caerulescens; seed endophytes; Pb-Zn hyperaccumulator
• ISSN: 2223-7747; 2223-7747
• DOI: 10.3390/plants12030643

Endophytes within plants are known to be crucial for plant fitness, and while their presence and functions in many compartments have been studied in depth, the research on seed endophytes is still limited. This work aimed to characterize the seed endophytic and rhizospheric bacterial community of two Pb-Zn hyperaccumulator populations, growing on two heavy-metal-polluted sites in Belgium. Cultured representatives were evaluated for their potential to enhance seed germination and root length of the model species . The results indicated that the community structure within the seed is conserved between the two locations, comprising mainly of Proteobacteria (seeds), and Actinobacteria in the bulk soil. Root length of was significantly increased when inoculated with . The results of this paper offer insights into the importance of the selection of the core seed endophytic microbiome and highlight the precarious symbiotic relationship they have with the plant and seed.