Panax ginseng is one of the most important medicinal plants in Asian countries and is usually harvested after 5 to 6 years of cultivation in Korea. Heavy metal exposure is a type of abiotic stress that can induce oxidative stress and decrease the qual...
Panax ginseng is one of the most important medicinal plants in Asian countries and is usually harvested after 5 to 6 years of cultivation in Korea. Heavy metal exposure is a type of abiotic stress that can induce oxidative stress and decrease the quality of the ginseng crop. Utilization of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can be the one way to induce heavy metal resistance in plants. Siderophore-producing rhizobacteria (SPR) is an important PGPRs to improve nutrient uptake and promote plant growth against heave metal stress. Therefore, SPR may be capable of bioremediating heavy metal contamination. In this study, we aimed to isolate and identify potential SPR on heavy metal resistance in P. ginseng.
Based on the culture dependent method and polyphasic approach, the five novel strains isolated from ginseng rhizosphere were belonging to the genus Rhodanobacter, Paraburkholderia, Lysobacter, Ornithinimicrobium and Mesorhizobium, designated as DCY112T, DCY115T, DCY117T, DCY118T, and DCY119T. The screening of five isolates had been carried out by in vitro studies for assessment the potentials of bioconversion of ginsenosides, indole acetic acid (IAA) production, siderophores production, phosphates solubilization, antagonistic activity, and heavy metal resistant activities. Compared with all the tested isolates, the siderophore-producing bacteria Mesorhizobium panacihumi DCY119T had higher heavy metal resistance, especially strong resistance to iron (MICFe: 32mM), therefore, this bacterium was chosen as the SPR candidate for further pot test.
To investigate the response of P. ginseng seedlings inoculated with the SPR candidate against Fe toxicity, two experiments was designated as in planta pot tests and in vitro medium tests. In planta- grown 2-year-old ginseng seedlings was inoculated with the SPR candidate, and Fe was added or not to investigate the ability of the SPR to reduce oxidative stress and enhance resistance to heavy metal stress. According to the results, ten minutes dipping of 108 CFU/mL DCY119T was enough to prime 2-years old ginseng seedlings against given Fe stress and increased the biomass and sugars contents to promote ginseng growth. Seedlings treated with the SPR DCY119T could increase antioxidant chemicals (total phenolic, total flavonoid) contents and ROS scavenging genes expression to reduce oxidative stress and prevent Fe toxicity. Secondly, the SPR candidate, DCY119T, was cultured in a variety of Fe-supplemented culture media or Fe-contaminated soil extract media and the response of Fe toxicity was assessed by antioxidant activity, IAA, and siderophores production activities. When Fe concentrations in the culture medium was increased, DCY119T grew until 16mM Fe, DPPH scavenging, IAA and siderophores production activities increased, similar results were obtained for Fe-contaminated soil extract media. Together, these results indicate that DCY119T can produce siderophores and scavenge ROS to reduce Fe-induced toxicity, in addition to providing IAA to promote seedling growth, thereby conferring inoculated ginseng with heavy metal resistance.
Inoculation of ginseng seedlings with the siderophore-producing rhizobacteria DCY119T decreased the toxic effects of Fe by reducing oxidative stress and promoting growth, indicating that SPR DCY119T can be used for bioremediation of heavy metal contamination.