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Copper-resistant bacteria reduces oxidative stress and uptake of copper in lentil plants: potential for bacterial bioremediation

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Abstract

For effective microbe-assisted bioremediation, metal-resistant plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) must facilitate plant growth by restricting excess metal uptake in plants, leading to prevent its bio-amplification in the ecosystem. The aims of our study were to isolate and characterize copper (Cu)-resistant PGPB from waste water receiving contaminated soil. In addition, we investigated the phytotoxic effect of copper on the lentil plants inoculated with copper-resistant bacteria Providencia vermicola, grown in copper-contaminated soil. Copper-resistant P. vermicola showed multiple plant growth promoting characteristics, when used as a seed inoculant. It protected the lentil plants from copper toxicity with a considerable increase in root and shoot length, plant dry weight and leaf area. A notable increase in different gas exchange characteristics such as A, E, C i , g s , and A/E, as well as increase in N and P accumulation were also recorded in inoculated plants as compared to un-inoculated copper stressed plants. In addition, leaf chlorophyll content, root nodulation, number of pods, 1,000 seed weight were also higher in inoculated plants as compared with non-inoculated ones. Anti-oxidative defense mechanism improved significantly via elevated expression of reactive oxygen species -scavenging enzymes including ascorbate peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and guaiacol peroxidase with alternate decrease in malondialdehyde and H2O2 contents, reduced electrolyte leakage, proline, and total phenolic contents suggesting that inoculation of P. vermicola triggered heavy metals stress-related defense pathways under copper stress. Overall, the results demonstrated that the P. vermicola seed inoculation confer heavy metal stress tolerance in lentil plant which can be used as a potent biotechnological tool to cope with the problems of copper pollution in crop plants for better yield.

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Abbreviations

PGPB:

plant growth promoting bacteria

Cu:

copper

PGP:

plant growth promoting

A :

net photosynthetic rate

E :

transpiration rate

C i :

internal CO2 concentration

g s :

stomatal conductance

A/E :

water use efficiency

SOD:

superoxide dismutase

CAT:

catalase

GPX:

guaiacol peroxidase

MIC:

minimum inhibitory concentration

MDA:

malondialdehyde

H2O2 :

hydrogen peroxide

TPC:

total phenolic contents

N:

nitrogen

P:

phosphorous

P. vermicola :

Providencia vermicola

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan for the financial support under project No: PM-IPFP/HRD/HEC/2011/0582.

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Islam, F., Yasmeen, T., Ali, Q. et al. Copper-resistant bacteria reduces oxidative stress and uptake of copper in lentil plants: potential for bacterial bioremediation. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 220–233 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-5354-1

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