Abstract
Azospirillum brasilense, which has the potential to stimulate plant growth, belongs to the group of plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria. The surface lectins of A. brasilense strains Sp7 and Sp245 can bind specific carbohydrates and ensure adhesion of the bacteria to the root surface. We investigated possible effects of the Sp7 and Sp245 lectins on the activities of proteases and their inhibitors in wheat seedling roots. Spectrophotometry was used to determine the protease and trypsin inhibitor activities in the cells of wheat-root seedlings. The Sp7 lectin decreased the activities of acidic (pH 3.5), neutral (pH 6.8), and alkaline (pH 7.8) proteases, whereas the Sp245 lectin activated all enzymes but acidic proteases, whose activity remained unchanged. Both lectins changed the ratio between the activities of the three types of proteases in germinating seeds. The trypsin-inhibiting activity in wheat seedling roots increased in the presence of either lectin. The results suggest that the range of effects of Azospirillum lectins on host plant metabolism is wider then previously thought. Together with the already existing evidence, they allow correction of the current views about the mechanisms that govern the interaction between the plant and the bacterium involved in an associative relationship.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported in part by Grant No. NSh-3171.2008.4. from the President of the Russian Federation. We thank Dmitry N. Tychinin (this institute) for the English version of this manuscript.
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Alen’kina, S.A., Nikitina, V.E. Change in the Ratio Between the Activities of Different Types of Proteases and Their Inhibitors in Plant Roots Exposed to Azospirillum Lectins. J Plant Growth Regul 36, 522–527 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-016-9658-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-016-9658-2