Abstract Detail

Symbioses: Plant, Animal, and Microbe Interactions

Mukherjee, Arijit [1], Degon, Zachariah [2], Rahmatallah, Yasir [3], Glazko, Galina [3].

Investigate the molecular mechanisms by which plant growth-promoting bacteria, Azospirillum brasilense, improve salt stress tolerance in rice.

Among all abiotic stresses, soil salinity is considered one of the most limiting factors for agricultural productivity. For instance, major food crops (e.g., rice, maize) experience a significant reduction in yields under moderate to severe salinity, leading to excessive fertilizer usage. Since soil salinity issues are expected to worsen due to climate change, it is imperative to find appropriate salt-stress mitigators for sustainable agriculture. One option is to harness the potential of beneficial microbes for improving plant salt stress tolerance. Several studies have shown that plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) like Azospirillum brasilense can improve salinity tolerance in plants and promote their growth. However, not much is known about the molecular mechanisms by which A. brasilense improves salt tolerance. We established an experimental system where A. brasilense could improve rice growth under high salt stress. We determined that colonization of rice roots by A. brasilense under salt stress was not affected. To begin defining the genetic pathways contributing to A. brasilense-enhanced salt tolerance in rice, we used RNA-seq to identify the transcriptional changes that occur in rice. Currently, we are analyzing the RNA-seq results and validating the expression pattern of a few genes identified in our dataset. Overall, results obtained from this study will offer insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms by which A. brasilense improves tolerance to salt stress in rice.

1 - University of Central Arkansas, Biology , LSC 180 , UCA, Conway , AR , 72035, USA
2 - University of Central Arkansas, LSC 180, UCA, Conway, Arkansas, 72035, United States
3 - University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Biomedical Informatics , Little Rock, AR , 72205, USA

Keywords:
salt stress
Rice
Plant growth-promoting bacteria.

Presentation Type: Poster
Number: PSM003
Abstract ID:375
Candidate for Awards:None