biostudies-literatureUnknown13Wang Z<h4>Introduction</h4><i>Epichloë bromicola</i> is a cultivable fungal endophyte that lives in symbiosis with wild barley (<i>Hordeum brevisubulatum</i>) to which it confers salt tolerance. This study tested the hypothesis that <i>E. bromicola</i> derived from wild barley has the potential to increase salt tolerance in cultivated barley under salt stress.<h4>Methods</h4>To test this hypothesis, the growth response, physiological parameters, and metabolic profiles of barley plants inoculated with <i>E. bromicola</i> (E+) and those not inoculated with <i>E. bromicola</i> (E-) were compared under salt stress.<h4>Results</h4>Compared with E- barley plants, E+ barley plants had significantly increased plant height, shoot biomass, total biomass, chlorophyll content, osmotic synthesis, and accumulation of stress adaptation metabolites. <i>E. bromicola</i> increased the salt stress tolerance of cultivated barley, and the positive effects correlated with different salt stress conditions.<h4>Discussion</h4>These results suggest that <i>E. bromicola</i> has promising potential for enhancing the salt tolerance of barley. New insights into the mechanisms underlying this barley-fungal endophyte association are provided, and interesting questions regarding the role of <i>E. bromicola</i> in fungus-enhanced tolerance to salt stress in this symbiosis are raised.Frontiers in microbiology1044735https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9730248biostudies-literature<i>Epichloe bromicola</i> from wild barley improves salt-tolerance of cultivated barley by altering physiological responses to salt stress.PMC9730248Liu JLi CWang ZWhite JFfalse<i>Epichloe bromicola</i> from wild barley improves salt-tolerance of cultivated barley by altering physiological responses to salt stress.<h4>Introduction</h4><i>Epichloë bromicola</i> is a cultivable fungal endophyte that lives in symbiosis with wild barley (<i>Hordeum brevisubulatum</i>) to which it confers salt tolerance. This study tested the hypothesis that <i>E. bromicola</i> derived from wild barley has the potential to increase salt tolerance in cultivated barley under salt stress.<h4>Methods</h4>To test this hypothesis, the growth response, physiological parameters, and metabolic profiles of barley plants inoculated with <i>E. bromicola</i> (E+) and those not inoculated with <i>E. bromicola</i> (E-) were compared under salt stress.<h4>Results</h4>Compared with E- barley plants, E+ barley plants had significantly increased plant height, shoot biomass, total biomass, chlorophyll content, osmotic synthesis, and accumulation of stress adaptation metabolites. <i>E. bromicola</i> increased the salt stress tolerance of cultivated barley, and the positive effects correlated with different salt stress conditions.<h4>Discussion</h4>These results suggest that <i>E. bromicola</i> has promising potential for enhancing the salt tolerance of barley. New insights into the mechanisms underlying this barley-fungal endophyte association are provided, and interesting questions regarding the role of <i>E. bromicola</i> in fungus-enhanced tolerance to salt stress in this symbiosis are raised.2022-01-01T00:00:00Z20222025-04-04T12:01:20.59Z2025-02-19T02:59:58.316ZS-EPMC97302483650477610.3389/fmicb.2022.1044735