Signals and Machinery for Mycorrhizae and Cereal and Oilseed Interactions towards Improved Tolerance to Environmental Stresses.

In the quest for sustainable agricultural practices, there arises an urgent need for alternative solutions to mineral fertilizers and pesticides, aiming to diminish the environmental footprint of farming. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) emerge as a promising avenue, bestowing plants with heightened nutrient absorption capabilities while alleviating plant stress. Cereal and oilseed crops benefit from this association in a number of ways, including improved growth fitness, nutrient uptake, and tolerance to environmental stresses. Understanding the molecular mechanisms shaping the impact of AMF on these crops offers encouraging prospects for a more efficient use of these beneficial microorganisms to mitigate climate change-related stressors on plant functioning and productivity. An increased number of studies highlighted the boosting effect of AMF on grain and oil crops' tolerance to (a)biotic stresses while limited ones investigated the molecular aspects orchestrating the different involved mechanisms. This review gives an extensive overview of the different strategies initiated by mycorrhizal cereal and oilseed plants to manage the deleterious effects of environmental stress. We also discuss the molecular drivers and mechanistic concepts to unveil the molecular machinery triggered by AMF to alleviate the tolerance of these crops to stressors.

Molecular and Systems Biology Approaches for Harnessing the Symbiotic Interaction in Mycorrhizal Symbiosis for Grain and Oil Crop Cultivation.

Mycorrhizal symbiosis, the mutually beneficial association between plants and fungi, has gained significant attention in recent years due to its widespread significance in agricultural productivity. Specifically, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) provide a range of benefits to grain and oil crops, including improved nutrient uptake, growth, and resistance to (a)biotic stressors. Harnessing this symbiotic interaction using molecular and systems biology approaches presents promising opportunities for sustainable and economically-viable agricultural practices. Research in this area aims to identify and manipulate specific genes and pathways involved in the symbiotic interaction, leading to improved cereal and oilseed crop yields and nutrient acquisition. This review provides an overview of the research frontier on utilizing molecular and systems biology approaches for harnessing the symbiotic interaction in mycorrhizal symbiosis for grain and oil crop cultivation. Moreover, we address the mechanistic insights and molecular determinants underpinning this exchange. We conclude with an overview of current efforts to harness mycorrhizal diversity to improve cereal and oilseed health through systems biology.

Chronic exposure to metam sodium-based pesticide in mice during adulthood elevated anxiety and depression-like behaviors: Involvement of serotoninergic depletion and gut microbiota dysbiosis.

Metam sodium-based pesticide (MS-BP) is widely used in agriculture and public health. We have previously demonstrated that maternal exposure to MS-BP resulted in sensorimotor alterations in mice offspring with long-lasting deficits including anxiety- and depression-like behaviors. Here, we project to verify whether these two neurobehavioral effects occur during adulthood following direct exposure to MS-BP and whether it results in changes in the serotoninergic system and gut microbiota. Our findings showed that chronic exposure to MS-BP increased anxiety- and depression-like behaviors, accompanied by a depletion of serotonin-like neurons within the dorsal raphe nucleus and a reduction in serotoninergic terminals in the infralimbic cortex and the basolateral amygdala. In addition, all MS-BP-exposed animals exhibited a reduced total bacterial number and diversity of gut microbiota. Taken together, our data demonstrated that MS-BP-induced behavioral changes could be related to the impairment of the serotoninergic system and gut microbiota dysbiosis.

Application of Indigenous Rhizospheric Microorganisms and Local Compost as Enhancers of Lettuce Growth, Development, and Salt Stress Tolerance.

This study aimed to mitigate salt stress effects on lettuce by using native biostimulants (arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (M, consortium), plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (R, Z2, and Z4 strains), and compost (C)) applied alone or in combination under salinity stress (0, 50, and 100 mM NaCl). Physiological, biochemical, nutritional, mycorrhizal, growth, and soil characteristics were evaluated. Results revealed that growth and physiological traits were negatively affected by salinity. However, mycorrhizal colonization was enhanced under 100 mM NaCl after compost application. The applied biostimulants, particularly M and/or R improved the salinity tolerance of lettuce by increasing the dry biomass by 119% and 113% under 100 mM NaCl, respectively, for M and MR treatments. Similarly, MR enhanced stomatal conductance (47%), water content (260%), total chlorophyll (130%), phosphorus content (363%), and reduced the malondialdehyde (54%) and hydrogen peroxide (78%) compared to the control. Moreover, peroxidase activity (76%) and sugar content (36%) were enhanced by CM treatment, while protein (111%) and proline (104%) contents were significantly boosted by R treatment under 100 mM NaCl. Furthermore, glomalin content was enhanced by MR treatment under severe salinity. In conclusion, the applied biostimulants alone or in combination might help lettuce to tolerate salt stress and enhance its production in degraded areas.