Authors: Faisal Islam Tahira Yasmeen Qasim Ali Muhammad Mubin Shafaqat Ali Muhammad Saleem Arif Sabir Hussain Muhammad Riaz Farhat Abbas
Publish Date: 2015/09/21
Volume: 23, Issue: 1, Pages: 220-233
Abstract
For effective microbeassisted bioremediation metalresistant plant growthpromoting bacteria PGPB must facilitate plant growth by restricting excess metal uptake in plants leading to prevent its bioamplification in the ecosystem The aims of our study were to isolate and characterize copper Curesistant PGPB from waste water receiving contaminated soil In addition we investigated the phytotoxic effect of copper on the lentil plants inoculated with copperresistant bacteria Providencia vermicola grown in coppercontaminated soil Copperresistant P vermicola showed multiple plant growth promoting characteristics when used as a seed inoculant It protected the lentil plants from copper toxicity with a considerable increase in root and shoot length plant dry weight and leaf area A notable increase in different gas exchange characteristics such as A E C i g s and A/E as well as increase in N and P accumulation were also recorded in inoculated plants as compared to uninoculated copper stressed plants In addition leaf chlorophyll content root nodulation number of pods 1000 seed weight were also higher in inoculated plants as compared with noninoculated ones Antioxidative defense mechanism improved significantly via elevated expression of reactive oxygen species scavenging enzymes including ascorbate peroxidase superoxide dismutase catalase and guaiacol peroxidase with alternate decrease in malondialdehyde and H2O2 contents reduced electrolyte leakage proline and total phenolic contents suggesting that inoculation of P vermicola triggered heavy metals stressrelated defense pathways under copper stress Overall the results demonstrated that the P vermicola seed inoculation confer heavy metal stress tolerance in lentil plant which can be used as a potent biotechnological tool to cope with the problems of copper pollution in crop plants for better yield
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