A cyclic dipeptide for salinity stress alleviation and the trophic flexibility of endophyte provide insights into saltmarsh plant–microbe interactions

Abstract

Abstract In response to climate change, the nature of endophytes and their applications in sustainable agriculture have attracted the attention of academics and agro-industries. This work focused on the endophytic halophiles of the endangered Taiwanese salt marsh plant, Bolboschoenus planiculmis, and evaluated the functions of these isolates through in planta salinity stress alleviation assay using Arabidopsis. The endophytic strain Priestia megaterium BP01R2, which can promote plant growth and salinity tolerance, was further characterized through multi-omics approaches. The transcriptomics results suggested that BP01R2 could function by tuning hormone signal transduction, energy-producing metabolism, multiple stress responses, etc. In addition, the cyclodipeptide cyclo(L-Ala-Gly), which was identified by metabolomics analysis, was confirmed to contribute to the alleviation of salinity stress in stressed plants via exogenous supplementation. In this study, we used multi-omics approaches to investigate the genomics, metabolomics, and tropisms of endophytes, as well as the transcriptomics of plants in response to the endophyte. The results revealed the potential molecular mechanisms underlying the occurrence of biostimulant-based plant-endophyte symbioses with possible application in sustainable agriculture.