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Interactions of bacterial cytokinins and IAA in the rhizosphere may alter phytostimulatory efficiency of rhizobacteria

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Abstract

Phytohormones from rhizobacterial origin have been linked to their phytostimulation potential. However, while studying the efficacy of plant growth promoting bacteria, focus has always been on a single hormone. The role of plant hormones often overlay and they mutually modulate their effect. In current study focus was on the role of two hormones (cytokinins and indole acetic acid) in phytostimulation by rhizobacteria. Endogenous rhizosphere bacteria were isolated and screened for the presence of phytohormones. Bacterial strains from three different genera (Pseudomonas, Bacillus and Azospirillum) were screened positive for cytokinins and IAA. Phytohormones were simultaneously determined in SPE purified bacterial extract by ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled to a tandem mass spectrometer through electrospray interface. Cytokinins and IAA were determined in positive and negative mode, respectively with MRM scan. Zeatin, zeatin riboside and dihydrozeatin riboside were detected and quantified in the selected strains. Significant positive correlation between cytokinins and IAA in bacterial culture and plant endogenous hormones (r = 0.933 and r = 0.983; P = 0.01, respectively) was observed. However, strains with high IAA to cytokinins ratio could hardly enhance in-planta cytokinins, indicating antagonistic relation between the two hormones. Significant correlation of cytokinin with shoot length (r = 0.797; P = 0.01), fresh weight (r = 0.685; P = 0.01) and dry weight (r = 0.704; P = 0.01) was reported under axenic conditions. Bacterial IAA was correlated negatively to root length (r = 0.853; P = 0.01) and positively correlated to the number of roots (r = 0.964; P = 0.01). In natural conditions maximum increase in spike length (33%), number of tillers (71%) and weight of seeds (39%) was documented at final harvest in bacterially inoculated plants.

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Acknowledgments

Higher Education commission of Pakistan is acknowledged for providing financial support to the visit of Mr. Anwar Hussain to Wurzburg University Germany. Prof. Dr. Thomas Roitsch and Dr. Markus Krischke, Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Wurzburg University, Germany, are acknowledged for providing the laboratory facilities and help in phytohormones determination.

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  1. Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan

    Anwar Hussain & Shahida Hasnain

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  1. Anwar Hussain
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  2. Shahida Hasnain
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Correspondence to Shahida Hasnain.

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Hussain, A., Hasnain, S. Interactions of bacterial cytokinins and IAA in the rhizosphere may alter phytostimulatory efficiency of rhizobacteria. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 27, 2645–2654 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-011-0738-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-011-0738-y

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