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Cadmium-tolerant bacteria induce metal stress tolerance in cereals

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Abstract

Cadmium usually hampers plant growth, but bacterial inoculation may improve stress tolerance in plants to Cd by involving various mechanisms. The objective was to characterize and identify bacteria that improve plant growth under Cd stress and reduce Cd uptake. Cadmium-tolerant bacteria were isolated from rhizosphere soil, which was irrigated with tannery effluent, and six strains were selected as highly tolerant to Cd, showing minimum inhibitory concentration as 500 mg L−1 or 4.45 mmol L−1. These strains were identified by 16S rRNA gene analysis and functional analysis in regard to plant growth promotion characteristics. To determine their effect on cereal growth under Cd stress, seeds were inoculated with these strains individually and grown in soil contaminated with three Cd levels (0, 40 and 80 mg kg−1). Biomass production, relative water content (RWC), electrolyte leakage (ELL) and tissue Cd concentration were measured. Biomass of both cereals was inhibited strongly when exposed to Cd; however, bacterial inoculation significantly reduced the suppressive effect of Cd on cereal growth and physiology. The bacterial isolates belonged to the genera Klebsiella, Stenotrophomonas, Bacillus and Serratia. Maize was more sensitive than wheat to Cd. Klebsiella sp. strain CIK-502 had the most pronounced effects in promoting maize and wheat growth and lowering Cd uptake under Cd stress.

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Acknowledgments

The first author acknowledges the “Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan” to provide financial support for this project under the Indigenous 5000 Fellowship Scheme Batch IV.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, 38040, Pakistan

    Iftikhar Ahmad, Muhammad Javed Akhtar & Zahir Ahmad Zahir

  2. Bioresources Unit, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, 3430, Tulln, Austria

    Iftikhar Ahmad, Muhammad Naveed, Birgit Mitter & Angela Sessitsch

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  1. Iftikhar Ahmad
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  2. Muhammad Javed Akhtar
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  3. Zahir Ahmad Zahir
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  4. Muhammad Naveed
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  5. Birgit Mitter
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  6. Angela Sessitsch
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Correspondence to Iftikhar Ahmad.

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Responsible editor: Elena Maestri

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Ahmad, I., Akhtar, M.J., Zahir, Z.A. et al. Cadmium-tolerant bacteria induce metal stress tolerance in cereals. Environ Sci Pollut Res 21, 11054–11065 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-3010-9

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