Abstract
The use of phosphate-solubilizing fungi is a promising biotechnological strategy in the management of phosphorus (P) fertilization, as it enables the utilization of rock phosphates (RP) or the recovery of P fixed in soil particles. The objective of our study was to evaluate fungal isolates for mechanisms of solubilization of P-bearing compounds, such as AlPO4, FePO4, Ca3(PO4)2, Araxá RP, and Catalão RP. Four fungal isolates obtained from Brazilian soils were characterized in liquid media: Aspergillus niger FS1, Penicillium canescens FS23, Eupenicillium ludwigii FS27, and Penicillium islandicum FS30. A. niger FS1 was the only isolate able to solubilize all of the P sources, solubilizing 71, 36, 100, and 14 % of the P from AlPO4, FePO4, Ca3(PO4)2, and RPs, respectively. Medium acidification was an effective solubilization mechanism, particularly for Ca3(PO4)2. The other P sources were mainly solubilized through organic acids produced by the fungi. Oxalic acid, produced exclusively by A. niger FS1, and citric acid were decisive factors in the solubilization of AlPO4 and FePO4. Penicillium isolates produced more gluconic acid than A. niger FS1 in all treatments. However, this higher production did not result in higher solubilization for any of the P sources, showing that gluconic acid contributes little to the solubilization of the P sources evaluated. The higher capacity of medium acidification and the production of organic acids with stronger metal-complexation activity are characteristics that confer to A. niger FS1 a wider action on insoluble P sources. Consequently, this isolate qualifies as a promising candidate for application in the management of P fertilization.
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Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to Luis Roberto Batista and Fabiana Reinis F. Passamini for their assistance in identifying the fungal isolates. Thanks are also due to Victor S. Pylro for his suggestions on preparing the manuscript. The authors are grateful to the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) for financing this work and providing scholarships to the first and last authors. Financial support for this study was provided by “Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Capes/Brasil Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais, FAPEMIG (GAG-APQ-00712-12)” and the Spanish projects CTM2011-027797 and P09RNM-5196.
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de Oliveira Mendes, G., Moreira de Freitas, A.L., Liparini Pereira, O. et al. Mechanisms of phosphate solubilization by fungal isolates when exposed to different P sources. Ann Microbiol 64, 239–249 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13213-013-0656-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13213-013-0656-3