Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 1, 2026
09:20
A Method to Manipulate Surface Tension of a Liquid Metal via Surface Oxidation and Reduction
Published on: January 26, 2016
16.1K
Metal-Tolerant Rhizobacteria Alleviate Aluminum Toxicity in Maize Via Biosorption, Antioxidant Activation, and ROS
Talat Ilyas1, Mohammad Shahid2, Nida Fatima1
1Department of Bioengineering, Integral University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Physiologia Plantarum
|January 31, 2026
Summary
Metal-tolerant rhizobacteria, Pseudomonas azotoformans PSZ-1 and Achromobacter sp. PSZ-5, effectively mitigated aluminum (Al) toxicity in maize. These beneficial microbes enhanced plant growth and photosynthetic traits under Al stress, showing promise for soil bioremediation.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Plant Science
- Microbiology
Background:
- Aluminum (Al) is a pervasive soil pollutant that severely impairs plant growth and crop yields.
- Metal-tolerant rhizobacteria offer a sustainable strategy to alleviate Al-induced phytotoxicity in plants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of specific metal-tolerant rhizobacteria, Pseudomonas azotoformans PSZ-1 and Achromobacter sp. PSZ-5, in enhancing aluminum tolerance in maize (Zea mays L.).
Main Methods:
- Screening of rhizobacteria for Al tolerance and plant growth-promoting (PGP) substances.
- Evaluating the impact of rhizobacterial inoculation on maize growth, photosynthetic parameters, oxidative stress markers, and Al accumulation under varying Al concentrations.
- Analyzing the activities of antioxidant enzymes (APX, CT, POD, SOD, GR) in response to bacterial treatment.
- Utilizing multivariate analyses to assess treatment associations.
Main Results:
- Pseudomonas azotoformans PSZ-1 and Achromobacter sp. PSZ-5 demonstrated high Al tolerance and PGP capabilities.
- Bacterial inoculation significantly improved maize root biomass, carotenoids, chlorophyll fluorescence, photosynthetic rate, and stomatal conductance under Al stress.
- Rhizobacteria effectively reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress markers (EL, MDA) while decreasing Al uptake in maize tissues.
- Specific antioxidant enzyme activities were significantly upregulated by bacterial treatments, with PSZ-5 enhancing APX, CT, and POD, and PSZ-1 boosting SOD and GR.
Conclusions:
- The tested metal-tolerant rhizobacteria show significant potential for enhancing maize Al tolerance and improving crop productivity in Al-contaminated soils.
- These PGPR strains are promising candidates for the bioremediation of Al-polluted environments.
- Further research is recommended to validate field performance and explore underlying molecular mechanisms and microbial consortia for enhanced efficacy.
Related Concept Videos
03:11Oxidation-Reduction Reactions
75.7K
Oxidation–Reduction Reactions
75.7K
02:37Metallic Solids
20.6K
Metallic solids such as crystals of copper, aluminum, and iron are formed by metal atoms. The structure of metallic crystals is often described as a uniform distribution of atomic nuclei within a “sea” of delocalized electrons. The atoms within such a metallic solid are held together by a unique force known as metallic bonding that gives rise to many useful and varied bulk properties.
All metallic solids exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and malleability....
All metallic solids exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and malleability....
20.6K
02:51Metal-Ligand Bonds
24.3K
The hemoglobin in the blood, the chlorophyll in green plants, vitamin B-12, and the catalyst used in the manufacture of polyethylene all contain coordination compounds. Ions of the metals, especially the transition metals, are likely to form complexes.
In these complexes, transition metals form coordinate covalent bonds, a kind of Lewis acid-base interaction in which both of the electrons in the bond are contributed by a donor (Lewis base) to an electron acceptor (Lewis acid). The Lewis acid in...
In these complexes, transition metals form coordinate covalent bonds, a kind of Lewis acid-base interaction in which both of the electrons in the bond are contributed by a donor (Lewis base) to an electron acceptor (Lewis acid). The Lewis acid in...
24.3K
02:32Bonding in Metals
52.4K
Metallic bonds are formed between two metal atoms. A simplified model to describe metallic bonding has been developed by Paul Drüde called the “Electron Sea Model”.
52.4K
03:06Alkali Metals
24.6K
Group 1 elements are soft and shiny metallic solids. They are malleable, ductile, and good conductors of heat and electricity. The melting points of the alkali metals are unusually low for metals and decrease going down the group, while the density increases going down the group with the exception of potassium (Table 1).
Table 1: Properties of the alkali metals
Table 1: Properties of the alkali metals
24.6K
02:58Properties of Transition Metals
29.8K
Transition metals are defined as those elements that have partially filled d orbitals. As shown in Figure 1, the d-block elements in groups 3–12 are transition elements. The f-block elements, also called inner transition metals (the lanthanides and actinides), also meet this criterion because the d orbital is partially occupied before the f orbitals.
29.8K