Poor-Soil Rhizosphere Enriched with Different Microbial Activities Influence the Availability of Base Elements

Understanding the ecology of soil rhizosphere is essential to enhancing soil ecosystem and plants productivity. Poor-soil properties can limit rhizosphere microbial composition, interactions and plants productivity. Furthermore, the presence of plant exudates and microbial interation can change the rhizosphere dynamic. In the current study, we used two types of soils, rich nutrient soil represented by potting-soil and poor-soil represented with nutrient-deprived poor-soil. The two types of soil were inoculated with five microbial combinations using plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB, Pseudomonas fluorescens) and mycorrhiza, and planted with two-day-old sorghum bicolor and Setaria italica (Foxtail millet) seedlings. Soil elements analyses were conducted 60 days after planting. The availability of exchangeable base alkali elements (Ca, Mg, Na) were measured and compared. Na was exclusively affected by PGPB inoculation in both soil types. Ca and Mg increased highest when associated with arbuscular inoculation, exclusively, in comparison to association with PGPB or Ectomycorrhiza in both soil types when planted with sorghum. Whereas, the same elements Ca and Mg, increased highest when associated with arbuscular mycorrhiza inoculation whether combined with PGPB or ectomycorrhiza when in soil planted with Setaria italica. The mycorrhiza increased Ca and Mg availability when combined with PGPB. Naincrease was associated only with PGPB inoculation solely in both soil types. The use of arbuscular mycorrhiza inoculation combined with PGPB is ecofriendly method to enrich rhizosphere in poor-soil and eliminate the need to use any chemical fertilizers.

Plant Growth-Prompting Bacteria Influenced Metabolites of <i>Zea mays var. amylacea </i>and <i>Pennisetum americanum p. </i>in a Species-Specific Manner

Poor soil is one of the agricultural world’s principal challenges, inciting the use of chemical fertilizer’s to improve overall soil quality. However, the use of chemical fertilizer has significant and cascading environmental consequences. Therefore, the use of beneficial microbes’ inoculation in treating poor soil is a considerably ecofriendly sustainable solution. In the current study, we supplemented nutrient-deprived soil with plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB), Pseudomonas fluorescens. The bacterial inoculations of Pseudomonas fluorescenswere added to the poor soil following two days post-sowing of Zea mays var. amylacea and Pennisetumamericanum p. seedlings. Metabolite analyses were conducted two months after treatment for both shoots and roots using nuclear magnetic resonance method (NMR). The data indicated significant changes in 19 metabolites relative to control in both plants shoot and roots. Among these metabolites, 7 were upregulated in roots of Zea mays var. amylacea, and 9 metabolites were upregulated in roots of Pennisetum americanum p. The PGPB enhanced sugars (fructose, glucose, sucrose) and amino acids (glutamate, alanine and succinate) in roots, while down regulating in shoots of Pennisetum americanum p. The Pseudomonas fluorescens induced, predominantly,Aminoacyl-tRNA related metabolite, and Alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolite biosynthesis in Zea mays var. amylacea), whereas PGPB induced metabolites in Pennisetum americanum p., dominated by up regulated carbohydrate related (starch and sucrose) metabolites. The difference in some metabolic response between the two plants indicated that PGPB influence has a species-specific manner.

Wound healing during hibernation by black bears (Ursus americanus) in the wild: elicitation of reduced scar formation

Even mildly hypothermic body or limb temperatures can retard healing processes in mammals.Despite this,we observed that hibernating American black bears(Ursus americanus Pallas,1780)elicit profound abilities in mounting inflammatory responses to infection and/or foreign bodies.In addition,they resolve injuries during hibernation while maintaining mildly hypothermic states(30–35°C)and without eating,drinking,urinating or defecating.We describe experimental studies on free-ranging bears that document their abilities to completely resolve cutaneous cuts and punctures incurred during or prior to hibernation.We induced small,full-thickness cutaneous wounds(biopsies or incisions)during early denning,and re-biopsied sites 2–3 months later(near the end of denning).Routine histological methods were used to characterize these skin samples.All biopsied sites with respect to secondary intention(open circular biopsies)and primary intention(sutured sites)healed,with evidence of initial eschar(scab)formation,completeness of healed epidermis and dermal layers,dyskeratosis(inclusion cysts),and abilities to produce hair follicles.These healing abilities of hibernating black bears are a clear survival advantage to animals injured before or during denning.Bears are known to have elevated levels of hibernation induction trigger(delta-opioid receptor agonist)and ursodeoxycholic acid(major bile acid within plasma,mostly conjugated with taurine)during hibernation,which may relate to these wound-healing abilities.Further research as to the underlying mechanisms of wound healing during hibernation could have applications in human medicine.Unique approaches may be found to improve healing for malnourished,hypothermic,diabetic and elderly patients or to reduce scarring associated with burns and traumatic injuries.