Academic Journal
Genomic and Functional Characterization of Sunflower Endophytes Reveals Mechanisms of Drought Tolerance and Growth Promotion.
| Τίτλος: | Genomic and Functional Characterization of Sunflower Endophytes Reveals Mechanisms of Drought Tolerance and Growth Promotion. |
|---|---|
| Συγγραφείς: | Muhammed M; Food Security and Safety Focus Area, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences North-West University Mmabatho South Africa., Ayangbenro AS; Food Security and Safety Focus Area, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences North-West University Mmabatho South Africa.; Department of Microbiology Federal University of Medicine and Medical Sciences Abeokuta Nigeria., Babalola OO; Food Security and Safety Focus Area, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences North-West University Mmabatho South Africa.; Department of Life Sciences Imperial College London Silwood Park Campus Berkshire UK. |
| Πηγή: | Plant direct [Plant Direct] 2026 Jul 15; Vol. 10 (7), pp. e70184. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Jul 15 (Print Publication: 2026). |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Ltd Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 101716131 Publication Model: eCollection Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 2475-4455 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 24754455 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Plant Direct Subsets: PubMed not MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: [Oxford, U.K.] : John Wiley & Sons Ltd., [2017]- |
| Περίληψη: | Drought severely limits sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) productivity, necessitating sustainable microbial strategies to enhance plant resilience. Endophytic bacteria modulate plant stress responses through diverse plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits. This study characterized Pseudomonas protegens M4 and Citrobacter braakii M34 and evaluated their individual and combined effects on sunflower drought tolerance. Greenhouse experiments assessed inoculation with M4, M34, and their consortium (M4 + M34) under optimal (100% field capacity, FC) and drought conditions (75%-25% FC). Initial taxonomic identification based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing was further refined using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) for high-resolution classification and functional analysis. Genomic annotation and antiSMASH analysis revealed key PGP pathways in both strains, including enzymes involved in ethylene regulation, phosphate solubilization, biosynthesis of auxin-like compounds, osmoprotectant production, and reactive oxygen species detoxification, alongside shared and strain-specific secondary metabolite gene clusters. Under drought conditions, M4 primarily enhanced growth-related traits such as shoot development and leaf area, whereas M34 was associated with physiological stress tolerance indicators. The consortium M4 + M34 exhibited synergistic effects, significantly increasing the chlorophyll content, relative water content, and proline accumulation while reducing electrolyte leakage. Principal component analysis further confirmed the consortium's superior performance. These findings highlight the potential of genomically and functionally characterized endophytic bacterial consortia as effective bioinoculant strategies for improving sunflower productivity under water-limited conditions. (© 2026 The Author(s). Plant Direct published by American Society of Plant Biologists and the Society for Experimental Biology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.) |
| Competing Interests: | The authors declare no conflicts of interest. |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: drought stress; endophytic bacteria; microbial consortium; plant‐microbe interactions; whole‐genome sequencing |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260716 Date Completed: 20260716 Latest Revision: 20260716 |
| Update Code: | 20260716 |
| PubMed Central ID: | PMC13372015 |
| DOI: | 10.1002/pld3.70184 |
| PMID: | 42459817 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 2475-4455 |
|---|---|
| DOI: | 10.1002/pld3.70184 |