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Journal Article Epublish 1 citation

PubMed: 39567914 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-024-05764-4

Lamiaceae family-derived endophytic fungi: induced tolerance to drought stress in Thymus vulgaris plants.

BMC Plant Biol 24(1):1104

Authors: Afsoun Kamyab, Davood Samsampour, Navid Ahmadinasab, Abdonnabi Bagheri

Affiliations

  • Department of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology in Horticultural Products, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran.
  • Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran.
  • Hormozgan Studies and Research Center, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran.
  • Department of Plant Protection Research, Hormozgan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Bandar Abbas, Iran.

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Thymus vulgaris is a valuable medicinal plant widely cultivated for its aromatic and medicinal properties. However, like many plants, T. vulgaris faces challenges such as drought stress, which significantly affects its growth, morphological, physiological, and biochemical processes. Understanding how endophytic fungi isolated from Lamiaceae family influence T. vulgaris under varying watering regimes can enhance its resilience against drought stress. This study aims to assess the impact of individual and co-inoculation of three native endophytic species, i.e., Fusarium sp. (F), Cladosporium puyae (F), and Curvularia australiensis (F), on T. vulgaris growth parameters under different irrigation regimes in greenhouse conditions.

RESULTS

It has been discovered that using fungal endophytes as a biological tool can benefits T. vulgaris under drought stress. The results indicated that drought stress significantly reduced the growth, chlorophyll, and carotenoid content of plants lacking endophytes. Combinatory applications with fungal endophytes significantly improved the above-mentioned parameters under drought stress. Lipid peroxidation levels were significantly reduced in plants inoculated with bacterial endophytes. Drought stress significantly increased the activities of ascorbate peroxidase (APX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase (GR), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) in drought conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggested that the addition of fungal endophytes to the inoculum enhances drought tolerance in T. vulgaris by mitigating the harmful impact of drought stress on plant growth and physiological functions. The higher activity of antioxidant enzymes and improved redox state of glutathione are responsible for plants' greater resistance to drought.

MeSH

Droughts, Growth, Stress, Physiological, Fungi, Peroxidase, Endophytes, Thymus Gland, Botany, Glutathione