AUTHOR=Khan Muhammad Ikram , Ali Niaz , Jan Gul , Hamayun Muhammad , Jan Farzana Gul , Iqbal Amjad , Hussain Anwar , Lee In-Jung 

TITLE=Salt Stress Alleviation in Triticum aestivum Through Primary and Secondary Metabolites Modulation by Aspergillus terreus BTK-1

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.779623

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2022.779623

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>We report the growth promoting potential in wheat under saline conditions by an endophytic fungus <italic>Aspergillus terreus</italic> BTK-1. The isolated BTK-1 from the root of <italic>Chenopodium album</italic> was identified as <italic>Aspergillus terreus</italic> through 18S rDNA sequence analysis. BTK-1 secreted indole acetic acid (IAA), exhibited 1- aminocyclopropane-1- carboxylate deaminase (ACC) and siderophores activity, and solubilized phosphate. Wheat seedlings were exposed to a saline environment (0, 60, 120, and 180 mM) with or without BKT-1 inoculation. Seedlings inoculated with BTK-1 showed higher concentrations of IAA and gibberellins, whereas they showed low concentrations of abscisic acid compared to the BTK-1 non-inoculated plants. Also, BTK-1 inoculated wheat plants revealed significantly (<italic>P</italic> = 0.05) longer shoots and roots, biomass, and chlorophyll contents. On the contrary, plants without BTK-1 inoculation indicated significantly (<italic>P</italic> = 0.05) low amounts of carbohydrates, phenolics, prolines, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, with high amounts of Na and malonaldehyde under salt stress. Likewise, BTK-1 inoculated wheat plants showed high activity of reduced glutathione, and low activity of ascorbate, catalase, and peroxidase under salt stress. The mitigation of salinity stress by BTK-1 inoculated wheat plants suggested its use as a bio-stimulator in salt affected soils.</p>