A Dark Septate Endophyte Improves Cadmium Tolerance of Maize by Modifying Root Morphology and Promoting Cadmium Binding to the Cell Wall and Phosphate.

ABSTRACT: Dark septate endophytes (DSEs) can improve the performance of host plants grown in heavy metal-polluted soils, but the mechanism is still unclear. A sand culture experiment was performed to investigate the effects of a DSE strain (Exophiala pisciphila) on maize growth, root morphology, and cadmium (Cd) uptake under Cd stress at different concentrations (0, 5, 10, and 20 mg·kg^-1). The results indicated that the DSE significantly improved the Cd tolerance of maize, causing increases in biomass, plant height, and root morphology (length, tips, branch, and crossing number); enhancing the Cd retention in roots with a decrease in the transfer coefficient of Cd in maize plants; and increasing the Cd proportion in the cell wall by 16.0-25.6%. In addition, DSE significantly change

SUBMITTER: Chen S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10219085 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature