Institutional Publications

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Seed endophytic bacterium Lysinibacillus sp. (ZM1) from maize (Zea mays L.) shapes its root architecture through modulation of auxin biosynthesis and nitrogen metabolism
(Elsevier B.V., 2024) Pal, Gaurav; Saxena, Samiksha; Kumar, Kanchan; Verma, Anand; Kumar, Deepak; Shukla, Pooja; Pandey, Ashutosh; White, James; Verma, Satish K.
Seed endophytic bacteria have been shown to promote the growth and development of numerous plants. However, the underlying mechanism still needs to be better understood. The present study aims to investigate the role of a seed endophytic bacterium Lysinibacillus sp. (ZM1) in promoting plant growth and shaping the root architecture of maize seedlings. The study explores how bacteria-mediated auxin biosynthesis and nitrogen metabolism affect plant growth promotion and shape the root architecture of maize seedlings. The results demonstrate that ZM1 inoculation significantly enhances root length, root biomass, and the number of seminal roots in maize seedlings. Additionally, the treated seedlings exhibit increased shoot biomass and higher levels of photosynthetic pigments. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) analysis revealed extensive colonization of ZM1 on root hairs, as well as in the cortical and stellar regions of the root. Furthermore, LC-MS analysis demonstrated elevated auxin content in the roots of the ZM1 treated maize seedlings compared to the uninoculated control. Inoculation with ZM1 significantly increased the levels of endogenous ammonium content, GS, and GOGAT enzyme activities in the roots of treated maize seedlings compared to the control, indicating enhanced nitrogen metabolism. Furthermore, inoculation of bacteria under nitrogen-deficient conditions enhanced plant growth, as evidenced by increased root shoot length, fresh and dry weights, average number of seminal roots, and content of photosynthetic pigments. Transcript analysis indicated upregulation of auxin biosynthetic genes, along with genes involved in nitrogen metabolism at different time points in roots of ZM1-treated maize seedlings. Collectively, our findings highlight the positive impact of Lysinibacillus sp. ZM1 inoculation on maize seeds by improving root architecture through modulation of auxin biosynthesis and affecting various nitrogen metabolism related parameters. These findings provide valuable insights into the potential utilization of seed endophytic bacteria as biofertilizers to enhance plant growth and yield in nutrient deficient soils.
Brassinosteroids-regulated nitrogen metabolism fine-tunes growth physiology and low nitrogen response in tomato
(Elsevier B.V., 2023) Yadav, Ritesh Kumar; Analin, Benedict; Panda, Mahesh Kumar; Ranjan, Aashish; Singh, Amar Pal
Nitrogen (N) is a crucial nutrient for plants and its limited availability in the soils significantly affects plant growth and development. To adapt under low N condition, plants undergo various changes such as root system reprogramming to explore deeper soil horizons and metabolic activity adjustment. These N dependent responses and the genetic factors governing them are poorly known in crop plants. In this study, we investigated the effect of BRs on N metabolism in tomato. BRs application improved N assimilation and metabolic responses. By using the transgenic approach, we demonstrated the essential role of tomato Brassinazole resistant (BES1/BZR1) homolog 4 (BEH4) protein in regulating N metabolic response, growth physiology, and fruit quality. Overexpression of BEH4 promoted deeper root system architecture and improved physiological performance by adjusting N metabolic activity and photosynthetic efficiency in low N-grown plants. The BEH4 transgenic lines exhibited increased expression of genes involved in N uptake and assimilation which are associated with the improved N content and assimilation (root and shoot). Altogether, data suggested an essential role of BRs in plant adaptation to altered N regimes and appears potential target for genetic manipulation to improve nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and nutritional quality in crops.
Breeding and genomics approaches for improving phosphorus-use efficiency in grain legumes
(Elsevier B.V., 2023) Jha, Uday Chand; Nayyar, Harsh; Parida, Swarup K.; Beena, R.; Pang, Jiayin; Siddique, Kadambot H.M.
Phosphorus (P) is an essential plant macronutrient, but P sources for plant growth are non-renewable, causing great concern for future sustainable agriculture and global food security. Thus, enhancing plant P-use efficiency (PUE) by improving P-acquisition and P-utilization efficiencies is urgently needed in various crops, including grain legumes, for intensive cropping systems. This review discusses how to harness the genetic variability in PUE traits across grain legume gene pools to improve PUE using various conventional breeding approaches and emerging breeding tools. The genetic architecture of PUE traits is complex, being quantitatively inherited and highly influenced by the environment. Thus, we discuss how the biparental QTL mapping approach has been used to dissect the genetic architecture of PUE traits. Unprecedented advances in legume genomics resources, especially high-throughput single nucleotide polymorphisms, have facilitated uncovering genomic regions related to PUE across the whole genome using a genome-wide association mapping approach. Likewise, the availability of complete genome sequence information, pangenome sequences, and the whole-genome resequencing approach have provided novel insights into structural variation, including presence/absence and copy number variations, underpinning PUE. Simultaneously, progress in functional genomics, including transcriptomics and computational biology, has facilitated the discovery of various underlying transcription factors and the corresponding downstream P signal perception genes and candidate gene(s) controlling PUE and conferring low-P tolerance in various legumes with putative function. We also discuss updated metabolomics and proteomics approaches that have improved our understanding of various gene networks, P-starvation signaling pathways, and P acquisition and utilization of molecular mechanisms important for PUE. Finally, we summarize how novel breeding schemes, including genomic selection, speed breeding, and emerging CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing tools, will assist in designing P-use-efficient cultivars and adapting grain legumes to low-P environments. Thus, enhancing PUE by integrating various ‘omics’ approaches could improve P-acquisition and P-utilization efficiencies in various modern grain legume cultivars grown in intensive cropping systems to restrict P-fertilizer overuse and preserve the declining non-renewable global rock phosphate reservoir for securing an economical and sustainable future agriculture.

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