Microorganisms in Plant Growth and Development: Roles in Abiotic Stress Tolerance and Secondary Metabolites Secretion

Overview

Journal Microorganisms

Specialty Microbiology

Date 2022 Aug 26

PMID 36013946

Authors

Ntombikhona Appear Koza

Afeez Adesina Adedayo

Olubukola Oluranti Babalola

Abidemi Paul Kappo

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Crops aimed at feeding an exponentially growing population are often exposed to a variety of harsh environmental factors. Although plants have evolved ways of adjusting their metabolism and some have also been engineered to tolerate stressful environments, there is still a shortage of food supply. An alternative approach is to explore the possibility of using rhizosphere microorganisms in the mitigation of abiotic stress and hopefully improve food production. Several studies have shown that rhizobacteria and mycorrhizae organisms can help improve stress tolerance by enhancing plant growth; stimulating the production of phytohormones, siderophores, and solubilizing phosphates; lowering ethylene levels; and upregulating the expression of dehydration response and antioxidant genes. This article shows the secretion of secondary metabolites as an additional mechanism employed by microorganisms against abiotic stress. The understanding of these mechanisms will help improve the efficacy of plant-growth-promoting microorganisms.

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