The Role of Serendipita indica (Piriformospora indica) in Improving Plant Resistance to Drought and Salinity Stresses

Abstract

Plant stress is one of the biggest threats to crops, causing irreparable damage to farmers’ incomes; Therefore, finding suitable, affordable, and practical solutions will help the agricultural economy and prevent the loss of millions of tons of agricultural products. Scientists have taken significant steps toward improving farm productivity in the last few decades by discovering how beneficial soil microorganisms enhance plant resistance to environmental stresses. Among these microorganisms is Serendipita indica, which the benefits of coexisting this fungus with plant roots have been extensively explored in recent years. By investigating fungus specification and its effects on plants’ morphological, physiological, and molecular traits, the present study seeks to understand how Serendipita indica affects plant resistance to salinity and drought conditions. Furthermore, this study attempts to identify the unknown mechanisms of action of the coexistence of Serendipita indica with plants in the face of stress using information from previous studies. Thus, it provides a way for future research to assess the impact of this fungus on tackling environmental stresses and enhancing agricultural productivity.

Root cap cell corpse clearance limits microbial colonization inArabidopsis thaliana

“…To address the link between fungal accommodation and plant developmental cell death, we analyzed transcriptomic data and observed downregulation of BFN1 in Arabidopsis during colonization by Serendipita indica (hereafter S. indica ), a beneficial fungus of the order Sebacinales. As a root endophyte, S. indica colonizes the epidermal and cortex layers of a broad range of different plant hosts, conferring various beneficial effects, including plant growth promotion, protection against pathogenic microbes and increased tolerance to abiotic stresses (Boorboori & Zhang, 2022, Mahdi et al ,2022, Fesel & Zuccaro, 2016). The colonization strategy of S. indica comprises an initial biotrophic interaction between plant and fungus.…”

Enhancing growth and salinity stress tolerance of date palm using Piriformospora indica

“…However, cell wall act as a barrier for beneficial microorganism's entry into plant tissues, which is overcome through the secretion of cell wall-destroying enzymes (CWDE). The activity of P. indica CWDE destroys plant cell wall polysaccharides for an entry pathway to plant cells (Boorboori and Zhang, 2022). In extremely arid conditions, date palm, Phoenix dactyliferaremains viable in saline soils and soils with low water supply (Müller et al, 2017;Hazzouri et al, 2020).…”

Editorial to the Special Issue “Eco-Physiological and Molecular Basis of Stress Tolerance in Plants”

“…Three review articles are also included in this Special Issue. Boorboori and Zhang [ 21 ] reviewed the physiological role of Serendipita indica ( Piriformospora indica ) in improving plant resistance to drought and salinity stress [ 21 ]. They highlighted the impact of this fungus in tackling environmental stresses and enhancing agricultural productivity, as Serendipita indica is phylogenetically like arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and can colonize under different stress conditions and coexist with more than 200 plant species.…”

“…They highlighted the impact of this fungus in tackling environmental stresses and enhancing agricultural productivity, as Serendipita indica is phylogenetically like arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and can colonize under different stress conditions and coexist with more than 200 plant species. Moreover, this fungus can be easily grown in artificial medium and can be used as a promising biofertilizer [ 21 ]. According to this review, Serendipita indica -mediated stress tolerance in plants results from several complementary physiological mechanisms, including (i) higher root proliferation and root biomass, (ii) higher nutrient uptake, (iii) the activation of genes involved in microtubule-based processes, (iv) decreasing stomatal conductance under drought stress, (v) and the activation of the antioxidant defence system (for a detailed review, see Boorboori and Zhang [ 21 ]).…”

“…Moreover, this fungus can be easily grown in artificial medium and can be used as a promising biofertilizer [ 21 ]. According to this review, Serendipita indica -mediated stress tolerance in plants results from several complementary physiological mechanisms, including (i) higher root proliferation and root biomass, (ii) higher nutrient uptake, (iii) the activation of genes involved in microtubule-based processes, (iv) decreasing stomatal conductance under drought stress, (v) and the activation of the antioxidant defence system (for a detailed review, see Boorboori and Zhang [ 21 ]). In the second review article, Shanker and his colleagues discuss the role of elevated CO 2 in ameliorating the drought-induced negative effects on plant growth and yield, as well as the possible ways by which there can be effective adaption to crops in the changing climate scenario [ 22 ].…”