Azospirillum brasilense Bacteria Promotes Mn2+ Uptake in Maize with Benefits to Leaf Photosynthesis

Azospirillum brasilense is a prolific grass-root colonizing bacteria well-known for its ability to promote plant growth in several cereal crops. Here we show that one of the mechanisms of action in boosting plant performance is through increased assimilation of the micronutrient manganese by the hos...

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Published inMicroorganisms (Basel) Vol. 10; no. 7; p. 1290
Main Authors Housh, Alexandra B., Waller, Spenser, Sopko, Stephanie, Powell, Avery, Benoit, Mary, Wilder, Stacy L., Guthrie, James, Schueller, Michael J., Ferrieri, Richard A.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 25.06.2022
MDPI
Subjects
Auxins
Azospirillum brasilense
Bacteria
Biosynthesis
carbon-11
Cereal crops
Chlorophyll
Chloroplasts
Corn
Gamma rays
Leaves
maize
Manganese
manganese-52
Nitrogen fixation
Nitrogenation
Photosynthesis
Physiology
Plant growth
plant growth promoting bacteria
Plants
Radiation detectors
Radioactivity
Radioisotopes
United States > US
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Summary:Azospirillum brasilense is a prolific grass-root colonizing bacteria well-known for its ability to promote plant growth in several cereal crops. Here we show that one of the mechanisms of action in boosting plant performance is through increased assimilation of the micronutrient manganese by the host. Using radioactive 52Mn2+ (t½ 5.59 d), we examined the uptake kinetics of this micronutrient in young maize plants, comparing the performance of three functional mutants of A. brasilense, including HM053, a high auxin-producing and high N2-fixing strain; ipdC, a strain with a reduced auxin biosynthesis capacity; and FP10, a strain deficient in N2-fixation that still produces auxin. HM053 had the greatest effect on host 52Mn2+ uptake, with a significant increase seen in shoot radioactivity relative to non-inoculated controls. LA-ICP-MS analysis of root sections revealed higher manganese distributions in the endodermis of HM053-inoculated plants and overall higher manganese concentrations in leaves. Finally, increased leaf manganese concentration stimulated photosynthesis as determined by measuring leaf fixation of radioactive 11CO2 with commensurate increases in chlorophyll concentration.
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USDOE
SBIR Phase II award
Present Address: Osteopathic School of Medicine, A.T. Still University of Health Sciences, Kirskville, MO 63501, USA.
ISSN:2076-2607
2076-2607
DOI:10.3390/microorganisms10071290