The effect of endophytic fungi on growth and nickel accumulation in Noccaea hyperaccumulators

The role of endophytic fungi isolated from different populations of European Ni hyperaccumulators was investigated in regard to the microorganisms' ability to enhance the hyperaccumulation of Ni in Noccaea caerulescens. Effects of particular species of endophytic fungi on adaptation of N. caerulescens to excess Ni were tested by co-cultivation with single strains of the fungi. Seven of these had a positive effect on plant biomass production, whereas two of the tested species inhibited plant growth; biomass production of inoculated plants was significantly different compared to non-inoculated control. Inoculation with six fungal strains: Embellisia thlaspis, Pyrenochaeta cava, Phomopsis columnaris, Plectosphaerella cucumerina, Cladosporium cladosporioides and Alternaria sp. stimulated the plant to uptake and accumulate more Ni in both roots and shoots, compared to non-inoculated control. P. columnaris was isolated from all plant species sampled. Strains isolated from Noccaea caerulescens and Noccaea goesingensis increased Ni root and shoot accumulation of their native hosts (compared to non-inoculated control). Inoculation of different populations of Noccaea with P. columnaris of foreign origin did not cause its host to accumulate more Ni, with the exception of the Ni-unadapted ecotype of N. goesingensis. Inoculation with P. columnaris from N. caerulescens significantly improved Ni uptake, but the effect of the fungus was not as prominent as in the case of N. caerulescens. By comparing the transcriptomes of N. caerulescens and N. goesingensis from Flatz inoculated with P. columnaris, we showed that enhanced uptake and accumulation of Ni in the plants is accompanied by an upregulation of several genes mainly involved in plant stress protection and metal uptake and compartmentation.