Genome-Wide Insights into <i>Streptomyces</i> Novel Species Qhu-G9 and Its Potential for Enhancing Salt Tolerance and Growth in <i>Avena sativa</i> L. and <i>Onobrychis viciifolia</i> Scop
With the increasing severity of global climate change and soil salinization, the development of microorganisms that enhance crop salt tolerance has become a critical focus of agricultural research. In this study, we explored the potential of a novel <i>Streptomyces</i> species Qhu-G9 as...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Plants |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/14/2135 |
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| Summary: | With the increasing severity of global climate change and soil salinization, the development of microorganisms that enhance crop salt tolerance has become a critical focus of agricultural research. In this study, we explored the potential of a novel <i>Streptomyces</i> species Qhu-G9 as a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR) under salt stress conditions, employing whole-genome sequencing and functional annotation. The genomic analysis revealed that Qhu-G9 harbors various genes related to plant growth promotion, including those involved in phosphate solubilization, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) biosynthesis, antioxidant activity, and nitrogen fixation. A total of 8528 coding genes were annotated in Qhu-G9, with a significant proportion related to cell metabolism, catalytic activity, and membrane transport, suggesting its broad growth-promoting potential. In vitro experiments demonstrated that Qhu-G9 exhibited strong iron siderophore production, IAA synthesis, phosphate solubilization, and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase activity, all of which correlate with its plant growth-promoting capacity. Further plant growth trials revealed that Qhu-G9 significantly enhances the growth of <i>Avena sativa</i> and <i>Onobrychis viciifolia</i> seedlings under salt stress conditions, improving key physiological parameters, such as chlorophyll content, relative water content, and photosynthetic efficiency. Under salt stress conditions, inoculation with Qhu-G9 resulted in notable increases in total biomass, root length, and plant height. Biochemical analyses further confirmed that Qhu-G9 alleviates the oxidative damage induced by salt stress by boosting antioxidant enzyme activities, reducing peroxide levels, and promoting the accumulation of osmotic regulators. These findings suggest that Qhu-G9 holds great promise as a PGPR that not only promotes plant growth, but also enhances plant tolerance to salt stress; thus, it has significant agricultural potential. |
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| ISSN: | 2223-7747 |