About this Research Topic

Background

The omnipresence of diverse microorganisms in the environment is valuable in many ways. Their presence in the vicinity of plants benefits as a result of positive plant-microbe interaction. Phytostimulating microorganisms or plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPMs) are a certain group of microbes that includes rhizobacteria, endophytes, actinomycetes, fungi, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, etc. They are colonized in different parts of plants (as endophytes) or the close contact outside the plants’ root-surface (rhizosphere and rhizoplane) attracted by certain plant exudates or secondary metabolites for nutrition. In return, PGPMs directly or indirectly assist their host plants by secreting plant growth-promoting substances, increase nutrient bioavailability of insoluble or less-soluble compounds in soils, and also confronts invading phytopathogens. A major group of these microorganisms takes an active part in soil metal bioremediation, an essential concern in the current scenario for the reclamation of metal-contaminated agricultural fields.

The increasing demand for food, concurrent rapid population growth, as well as the escalating destruction of arable lands (due to industrialization and urbanization) are becoming a serious concern. The intensification of industrialization across different parts of the world are potential anthropogenic sources of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Pb, Hg, etc.) and metalloids (As, Sb, etc.) disseminating in the soil. Magnification of these heavy metals and metalloids (HMs) in the soil causes severe phytotoxicity thereby become a strong barrier to crop cultivation. HM-stress is, in some places, acute near industrial belts but non-industrial areas are recently been detected to be contaminated too; probably from some other sources like frequent uses of HM-containing agrochemicals including pesticides. In this context, PGPMs play a crucial role in metal-bioremediation, phytostimulation, and also as biocontrol agents against phytopathogens. Unlike other metal-resistant bacteria, these dual-acting PGPMs are extremely useful for soil metal bioremediation purposes.

A strategic approach in PGPM-assisted bioremediation of HMs is seriously needed to develop state-of-the-art technologies to maintain and improve healthier crop production. In this context, indigenous soil microbes are being selectively targeted worldwide that are found potent in serving the purpose.

Henceforth, this Research Topic aims to gather and collate papers focusing on current knowledge in PGPM-assisted metal-alleviation for strengthening the agronomic industry and share it with the scientific community in order to accelerate the development of this field.

Our primary focuses of this Research Topic are (but not limited to), the following subjects:
- Deciphering the role of phytostimulating microorganisms in soil metal bioremediation;
- Adaptive strategies of PGPMs to combat HM-stress;
- Interrelationship of root exudates, HM-stress, and microbial diversity;
- Plant-metal-microbe interaction in the rhizosphere and endosphere;
- Molecular mechanisms of PGPMs in metal stress-alleviation;
- Transcriptomics and expression studies of plant and microbial genes related to metal stress;
- Improvement of plant health and crop productivity by PGPMs under metal stress;
- Bioinformatics of plant growth and stress-related microbial proteins accompanied by experimental data.

Keywords: Heavy metal stress, metalloid stress, microbial proteins, bioremediation, plant-microbe interaction, phytostimulation, sustainable agriculture, sustainable diets

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