Fungal endophytes boost salt tolerance and seed quality in quinoa ecotypes along a latitudinal gradient
Soil salinity threatens global food security, making salt tolerance a key agronomic trait. Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.), a halophytic pseudo-cereal known for its high nutritional value, emerges as a promising candidate due to its inherent resilience to saline conditions. Although quinoa's...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Plant Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1602553/full |
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| author | Roberto Miño Roberto Miño Gabriel I. Ballesteros Gabriel I. Ballesteros Karina B. Ruiz Ian S. Acuña-Rodríguez Ian S. Acuña-Rodríguez Marco A. Molina-Montenegro Marco A. Molina-Montenegro Marco A. Molina-Montenegro |
| author_facet | Roberto Miño Roberto Miño Gabriel I. Ballesteros Gabriel I. Ballesteros Karina B. Ruiz Ian S. Acuña-Rodríguez Ian S. Acuña-Rodríguez Marco A. Molina-Montenegro Marco A. Molina-Montenegro Marco A. Molina-Montenegro |
| author_sort | Roberto Miño |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Soil salinity threatens global food security, making salt tolerance a key agronomic trait. Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.), a halophytic pseudo-cereal known for its high nutritional value, emerges as a promising candidate due to its inherent resilience to saline conditions. Although quinoa's physiological and morphological adaptations to salinity are documented, the role of native fungal endophytes in enhancing salinity tolerance remains largely unexplored, particularly across diverse genotypes. This study investigates the contributions of quinoa-associated endophytes to salinity tolerance and seed quality in different genotypes, thus contributing to understand ecological interactions bolstering crop resilience. To achieve this objective, five quinoa genotypes were selected based on their distribution along a 2,200 km latitudinal gradient (19°–39° S), representing a range of ecological niches. Plants with (E+) and without (E−) fungal endophytes were subjected to salinity treatments of 0, 200, and 400 mM NaCl. Salinity tolerance was assessed through photochemical efficiency, gene expression analysis of CqNHX1, and plant survival rates. Seed quality was evaluated by measuring seed weight and protein content, providing a comprehensive assessment of the endophytes' impact on quinoa under stress conditions. Our results reveal that native microbiomes significantly enhanced salinity tolerance and seed quality in a genotype-dependent manner. Notably, E+ plants demonstrated improved photochemical efficiency and higher expression levels of CqNHX1 under high salinity conditions, with survival rates increasing by up to 30% compared to E− plants. Seed weight and protein content were also positively affected, with E+ plants showing up to a 25% increase in protein content under 400 mM NaCl stress. Remarkably, E+ plants exhibited no negative effects under non-saline conditions. These findings suggest that fungal endophytes interactions shift from neutral to beneficial under salinity, with no trade-offs under normal conditions. This highlights the potential role of endophytes in enhancing quinoa resilience and nutritional value, reinforcing their importance for crop adaptation in the face of climate change. Future research should explore the molecular mechanisms underlying these beneficial interactions and assess their applicability to other crops, paving the way for innovative strategies in plant breeding and conservation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-92d7cde32bf643e4926464361ded8487 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1664-462X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| spelling | doaj-art-92d7cde32bf643e4926464361ded84872025-08-20T02:31:13ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2025-06-011610.3389/fpls.2025.16025531602553Fungal endophytes boost salt tolerance and seed quality in quinoa ecotypes along a latitudinal gradientRoberto Miño0Roberto Miño1Gabriel I. Ballesteros2Gabriel I. Ballesteros3Karina B. Ruiz4Ian S. Acuña-Rodríguez5Ian S. Acuña-Rodríguez6Marco A. Molina-Montenegro7Marco A. Molina-Montenegro8Marco A. Molina-Montenegro9Centro de Ecología Integrativa (CEI), Universidad de Talca, Talca, ChileInstituto de Ciencias Biológicas (ICB), Universidad de Talca, Talca, ChileCentro de Ecología Integrativa (CEI), Universidad de Talca, Talca, ChileDirección de Investigación, Vicerrectoría Académica, Universidad de Talca, Talca, ChileQuímica y Farmacia, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Arturo Prat, Iquique, ChileCentro de Ecología Integrativa (CEI), Universidad de Talca, Talca, ChileDirección de Investigación, Vicerrectoría Académica, Universidad de Talca, Talca, ChileCentro de Ecología Integrativa (CEI), Universidad de Talca, Talca, ChileInstituto de Ciencias Biológicas (ICB), Universidad de Talca, Talca, ChileCentro de Investigación en Estudios Avanzados del Maule (CIEAM), Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, ChileSoil salinity threatens global food security, making salt tolerance a key agronomic trait. Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.), a halophytic pseudo-cereal known for its high nutritional value, emerges as a promising candidate due to its inherent resilience to saline conditions. Although quinoa's physiological and morphological adaptations to salinity are documented, the role of native fungal endophytes in enhancing salinity tolerance remains largely unexplored, particularly across diverse genotypes. This study investigates the contributions of quinoa-associated endophytes to salinity tolerance and seed quality in different genotypes, thus contributing to understand ecological interactions bolstering crop resilience. To achieve this objective, five quinoa genotypes were selected based on their distribution along a 2,200 km latitudinal gradient (19°–39° S), representing a range of ecological niches. Plants with (E+) and without (E−) fungal endophytes were subjected to salinity treatments of 0, 200, and 400 mM NaCl. Salinity tolerance was assessed through photochemical efficiency, gene expression analysis of CqNHX1, and plant survival rates. Seed quality was evaluated by measuring seed weight and protein content, providing a comprehensive assessment of the endophytes' impact on quinoa under stress conditions. Our results reveal that native microbiomes significantly enhanced salinity tolerance and seed quality in a genotype-dependent manner. Notably, E+ plants demonstrated improved photochemical efficiency and higher expression levels of CqNHX1 under high salinity conditions, with survival rates increasing by up to 30% compared to E− plants. Seed weight and protein content were also positively affected, with E+ plants showing up to a 25% increase in protein content under 400 mM NaCl stress. Remarkably, E+ plants exhibited no negative effects under non-saline conditions. These findings suggest that fungal endophytes interactions shift from neutral to beneficial under salinity, with no trade-offs under normal conditions. This highlights the potential role of endophytes in enhancing quinoa resilience and nutritional value, reinforcing their importance for crop adaptation in the face of climate change. Future research should explore the molecular mechanisms underlying these beneficial interactions and assess their applicability to other crops, paving the way for innovative strategies in plant breeding and conservation.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1602553/fullsalt stressprotein contenthalophytefungal endophytesnative microbiomeslatitudinal gradients |
| spellingShingle | Roberto Miño Roberto Miño Gabriel I. Ballesteros Gabriel I. Ballesteros Karina B. Ruiz Ian S. Acuña-Rodríguez Ian S. Acuña-Rodríguez Marco A. Molina-Montenegro Marco A. Molina-Montenegro Marco A. Molina-Montenegro Fungal endophytes boost salt tolerance and seed quality in quinoa ecotypes along a latitudinal gradient Frontiers in Plant Science salt stress protein content halophyte fungal endophytes native microbiomes latitudinal gradients |
| title | Fungal endophytes boost salt tolerance and seed quality in quinoa ecotypes along a latitudinal gradient |
| title_full | Fungal endophytes boost salt tolerance and seed quality in quinoa ecotypes along a latitudinal gradient |
| title_fullStr | Fungal endophytes boost salt tolerance and seed quality in quinoa ecotypes along a latitudinal gradient |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fungal endophytes boost salt tolerance and seed quality in quinoa ecotypes along a latitudinal gradient |
| title_short | Fungal endophytes boost salt tolerance and seed quality in quinoa ecotypes along a latitudinal gradient |
| title_sort | fungal endophytes boost salt tolerance and seed quality in quinoa ecotypes along a latitudinal gradient |
| topic | salt stress protein content halophyte fungal endophytes native microbiomes latitudinal gradients |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1602553/full |
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