Decrypting the multi-functional biological activators and inducers of defense responses against biotic stresses in plants

Bahman Khoshru; Debasis Mitra; Kuldeep Joshi; Priyanka Adhikari; Md Shafiul Islam Rion; Ayomide Emmanuel Fadiji; Mehrdad Alizadeh; Ankita Priyadarshini; Ansuman Senapati; Mohammad Reza Sarikhani; Periyasamy Panneerselvam; Pradeep Kumar Das Mohapatra; Svetlana Sushkova; Tatiana Minkina; Chetan Keswani

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13825

Decrypting the multi-functional biological activators and inducers of defense responses against biotic stresses in plants

Heliyon. 2023 Feb 18;9(3):e13825. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13825. eCollection 2023 Mar.

Authors

Bahman Khoshru¹, Debasis Mitra², Kuldeep Joshi³, Priyanka Adhikari⁴, Md Shafiul Islam Rion⁵, Ayomide Emmanuel Fadiji⁶, Mehrdad Alizadeh⁷, Ankita Priyadarshini⁸, Ansuman Senapati⁸, Mohammad Reza Sarikhani¹, Periyasamy Panneerselvam⁸, Pradeep Kumar Das Mohapatra², Svetlana Sushkova⁹, Tatiana Minkina⁹, Chetan Keswani⁹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
² Department of Microbiology, Raiganj University, Raiganj - 733 134, West Bengal, India.
³ G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, Kosi-Katarmal, Almora-263643, Uttarakhand, India.
⁴ Centre for Excellence on GMP Extraction Facility (DBT, Govt. of India), National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research. Guwahati-781101, Assam, India.
⁵ Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, WV 26506, USA.
⁶ Food Security and Safety Focus Area, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West University, Mmabatho 2735, South Africa.
⁷ Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
⁸ Crop Production Division, ICAR - National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, 753006, Odisha, India.
⁹ Academy of Biology and Biotechnology, Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don 344090, Russia.

Abstract

Plant diseases are still the main problem for the reduction in crop yield and a threat to global food security. Additionally, excessive usage of chemical inputs such as pesticides and fungicides to control plant diseases have created another serious problem for human and environmental health. In view of this, the application of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) for controlling plant disease incidences has been identified as an eco-friendly approach for coping with the food security issue. In this review, we have identified different ways by which PGPRs are capable of reducing phytopathogenic infestations and enhancing crop yield. PGPR suppresses plant diseases, both directly and indirectly, mediated by microbial metabolites and signaling components. Microbial synthesized anti-pathogenic metabolites such as siderophores, antibiotics, lytic enzymes, hydrogen cyanide, and several others act directly on phytopathogens. The indirect mechanisms of reducing plant disease infestation are caused by the stimulation of plant immune responses known as initiation of systemic resistance (ISR) which is mediated by triggering plant immune responses elicited through pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). The ISR triggered in the infected region of the plant leads to the development of systemic acquired resistance (SAR) throughout the plant making the plant resistant to a wide range of pathogens. A number of PGPRs including Pseudomonas and Bacillus genera have proven their ability to stimulate ISR. However, there are still some challenges in the large-scale application and acceptance of PGPR for pest and disease management. Further, we discuss the newly formulated PGPR inoculants possessing both plant growth-promoting activities and plant disease suppression ability for a holistic approach to sustaining plant health and enhancing crop productivity.

Keywords: Biotic stress; Ethylene; Food security; Jasmonic acid; Pathogen-associated molecular patterns; Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria; ROS; Systemic resistance.

Publication types

Review