Search

In this study, wild barley (Hordeum brevisubulatum) infected (E+) and uninfected (E-) by Epichloë bromicola were used for hydroponic experiments during the seedling stage. Various attributes, such as the effect of fungal endophyte on the growth and development of wild barley, the absorption of cadmium (Cd) and mineral elements (Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn), subcellular distribution, and chemical forms were investigated under CdCl2 stress. The results showed that the fungal endophy significantly reduced the Ca content and percentage of plant roots under Cd stress. The Fe and Mn content of roots, the mineral element content of soluble fractions, and the stems in the pectin acid or protein-chelated state increased significantly in response to fungal endophy. Epichloë endophyte helped Cd2+ to enter into plants; and reduced the positive correlation of Ca-Fe and Ca-Mn in roots. In addition, it also decreased the correlation of soluble components Cd-Cu, Cd-Ca, Cd-Mg in roots, and the negative correlation between pectin acid or protein-chelated Cd in stems and mineral elements, to increase the absorbance of host for mineral elements. In conclusion, fungal endophy regulated the concentration and distribution of mineral elements, while storing more Cd2+ to resist the damage caused by Cd stress. The study could provide a ground for revealing the Cd tolerance mechanism of endophytic fungal symbionts. The present study is the first to study the effect of fungal endophy on essential mineral elements of plants under heavy metal stress, filling a gap in the existing research. The study could be helpful to reveal the mechanism of endophytic fungi to improve the host's tolerance to heavy metals and provide a foundation for the grass-endophyte symbionts to improve heavy metal-contaminated soils as ecological grasses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hordeum jubatum is a salt tolerant forage, which plays an important role in improving saline-alkali land and animal husbandry alkali-saline grassland. Hordeum jubatum has been gradually domesticated as an ornamental grass due to its special flower color. However, no domesticated varieties of H. jubatum plant have been reported worldwide. This study reported the complete chloroplast genome of wild H. jubatum, which was 136,871 bp in length, containing a pair of inverted repeats (IRA/IRB) of 21,608 bp separated by a small single-copy (SSC) area region of 12,799 bp and the large single-copy (LSC) region of 80,856 bp. A total of 133 genes, including 85 protein-coding genes (79 PCG species), 40 transfer RNA genes (32 tRNA species), and eight ribosomal RNA genes (four rRNA species) were predicted from the chloroplast genomes. The overall GC content was 38.25%, and the corresponding values of the LSC, SSC, and IR were 36.22%, 32.15%, and 43.85%, respectively. The phylogenetic analysis showed that wild H. jubatum was clustered closely with Hordeum bogdanii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]