Beneficial Effects of Bacteria on Plants

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Protection and Biotic Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 June 2025 | Viewed by 1938

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biology & CESAM, Campus de Santiago, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Interests: environmental microbiology; plant microbiomes; plant-growth-promoting bacteria
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue focuses on the critical and ever-evolving field of beneficial bacteria–plant interactions. The intricate relationship between plants and their associated microbiota underpins numerous aspects of plant health and productivity. This thematic issue aims to synthesize recent research trends and highlight novel findings that advance our understanding of these crucial partnerships.

Despite the promising potential of beneficial bacteria–plant interactions to enhance plant health and productivity, several knowledge gaps, research challenges, and difficulties remain in applying this knowledge in field conditions. Identifying and addressing these issues is crucial for advancing the practical implementation of these biological solutions in agriculture.

This Special Issue explores several contemporary themes that are receiving significant attention within the scientific community. These themes include complex chemical signaling pathways underlying mutually beneficial interactions, the role and ecological significance of the endophytic microbiome, and the potential of bacteria to assist plants in detoxifying contaminated soils. The scope also encompasses the underlying mechanisms of bacterial effects, complex microbiome dynamics, and intricate environmental influences. By addressing knowledge gaps and challenges, this Special Issue contributes to unlocking the full potential of plant–bacteria partnerships and bridging the gap between laboratory research and field applications.

Dr. Angela Cunha
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biocontrol agents
  • endophytic bacteria
  • microbe-enhanced phytoremediation
  • microbial biostimulants
  • microbiome–metabolome relations
  • plant microbiomes
  • plant-growth-promoting bacteria
  • sustainable agriculture

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

18 pages, 2362 KiB  
Article
Engineering the Rhizosphere Microbiome with Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria for Modulation of the Plant Metabolome
by Maria J. Ferreira, Ana C. S. Veríssimo, Diana C. G. A. Pinto, Isabel N. Sierra-Garcia, Camille E. Granada, Javier Cremades, Helena Silva and Ângela Cunha
Plants 2024, 13(16), 2309; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13162309 - 20 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1715
Abstract
Plant-growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) have beneficial effects on plants. They can promote growth and enhance plant defense against abiotic stress and disease, and these effects are associated with changes in the plant metabolite profile. The research problem addressed in this study was the impact [...] Read more.
Plant-growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) have beneficial effects on plants. They can promote growth and enhance plant defense against abiotic stress and disease, and these effects are associated with changes in the plant metabolite profile. The research problem addressed in this study was the impact of inoculation with PGPB on the metabolite profile of Salicornia europaea L. across controlled and field conditions. Salicornia europaea seeds, inoculated with Brevibacterium casei EB3 and Pseudomonas oryzihabitans RL18, were grown in controlled laboratory experiments and in a natural field setting. The metabolite composition of the aboveground tissues was analyzed using GC–MS and UHPLC–MS. PGPB inoculation promoted a reconfiguration in plant metabolism in both environments. Under controlled laboratory conditions, inoculation contributed to increased biomass production and the reinforcement of immune responses by significantly increasing the levels of unsaturated fatty acids, sugars, citric acid, acetic acid, chlorogenic acids, and quercetin. In field conditions, the inoculated plants exhibited a distinct phytochemical profile, with increased glucose, fructose, and phenolic compounds, especially hydroxybenzoic acid, quercetin, and apigenin, alongside decreased unsaturated fatty acids, suggesting higher stress levels. The metabolic response shifted from growth enhancement to stress resistance in the latter context. As a common pattern to both laboratory and field conditions, biopriming induced metabolic reprogramming towards the expression of apigenin, quercetin, formononetin, caffeic acid, and caffeoylquinic acid, metabolites that enhance the plant’s tolerance to abiotic and biotic stress. This study unveils the intricate metabolic adaptations of Salicornia europaea under controlled and field conditions, highlighting PGPB’s potential to redesign the metabolite profile of the plant. Elevated-stress-related metabolites may fortify plant defense mechanisms, laying the groundwork for stress-resistant crop development through PGPB-based inoculants, especially in saline agriculture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Beneficial Effects of Bacteria on Plants)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Back to TopTop