Effects of Piriformospora indica on the Respiration of Taxus chinensis var. mairei under Water Stress

Abstract

Seedlings of Taxus chinensis var. mairei were used as experimental materials to study the adaptation of Piriformospora indica to this plant under water stress. The materials were divided into two groups, namely, with or without inoculation with P. indica. Each group was subjected to four different levels of water stress. Vitality and physiological and biochemical indexes of the roots of T. chinensis var. mairei were regularly measured. Under water stress, T. chinensis var. mairei had significantly decreased root vitality; root vitality was higher in inoculated roots than in uninoculated roots. Under intense water stress, the inoculated roots had a higher soluble sugar content than the uninoculated roots. Under water stress, T. chinensis var. mairei experienced decreased activity of aerobic respiratory metabolic enzymes. The activity of anaerobic respiratory metabolic enzymes and alcohol dehydrogenase initially increased and then decreased, whereas that of lactate dehydrogenase increased. The inoculated roots had a higher activity of respiratory metabolic enzymes than the uninoculated roots. As water stress was further intensified, the roots had significantly decreased activity of aerobic respiratory metabolic enzymes and significantly increased activity of anaerobic respiratory metabolic enzymes. The activity of respiratory metabolic enzymes decreased faster in the uninoculated roots than in the inoculated roots. This study demonstrated that Piriformospora indica plays a positive role in enhancing the antihypoxic ability of T. chinensis var. mairei, thereby alleviating plant damage due to water stress.

Research Progress of Piriformospora indica in Improving Plant Growth and Stress Resistance to Plant

“…It has been found that P. indica colonization increases vitamin C, protein, and soluble sugar content in cabbage, rapeseed, and cotton, and decreases nitrate levels to maintain higher plant metabolism under waterlogging [55]. In P. indica-inoculated host plants, root vitality and the enzyme activities on respiration and metabolism were significantly improved to withstand the hypoxic injury to plants under waterlogging stress [56]. Notably, the enzyme activity associated with reactive oxygen species (ROS) removal was significantly improved following the incubation of P. indica in rapeseed suffering from waterlogging [57].…”