Microbial inoculum development for ameliorating crop drought stress - A case study of Variovorax paradoxus 5C-2

Flashcards reviewing microbial inoculum development and its impact on crop drought stress, focusing on Variovorax paradoxus 5C-2.

What are PGPR?

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria that can modulate plant hormonal homeostasis, improving plant stress tolerance.

How can PGPR be utilized to improve crop yields?

A biotechnological option to enhance crop fitness under drought conditions, involving soil-dwelling microbes that interact with plant root systems.

What is ethylene's role in plant response to drought?

A plant hormone that increases during abiotic stresses, leading to decreased yield by inhibiting growth, photosynthesis, and seed set.

What is the role of ACC (1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate)?

A central biochemical player integrating plant and microbial metabolic networks, important for plant adaptation to drought.

What are ACC deaminases (acdS)?

Enzymes that transform ACC into 2-oxobutanoate and ammonia, modulating root ACC levels and ethylene evolution.

What is the rhizosphere?

The soil adjacent to plant roots, biologically, chemically, and physically influenced by the root system.

What is plant microbiota?

The unique consortium of microbes associated with a plant species and its habitat.

What is a plant holobiont?

The aggregate of the microbiome and host genomes, reflecting the integration of genetic material from diverse organisms.

What is a pan-genome?

The total gene collection within the genomes of different strains of a species, such as Variovorax paradoxus.

What are multi-drug resistance features?

Features in V. paradoxus that confer pesticide-antibiotic cross-resistance, aiding adaptation to different environmental constraints.

Why is soil temperature important?

Important factor affecting rhizosphere dynamics, influencing microbial activity, motility, and enzyme structure.

How does soil pH affect microbial life?

Determines the availability of nutrients and metals in agricultural soils, affecting microbial composition and biomass.

Why is soil water availability critical?

Influential factor shaping microbial communities, as bacteria need a certain cellular water content for optimal metabolism.

What are osmolytes?

Compounds bacteria accumulate to maintain a favorable water potential gradient, aiding survival under drought.

What are root exudates?

Substances released by plant roots that influence the physiology of microbial communities, varying with plant species, age, and nutrient status.

What are Pseudomonas species?

Specialized bacteria that colonize specific root zones based on root cell characteristics and chemical composition.

What is bacterial dispersal?

Bacteria detach from biofilms and switch to a planktonic lifestyle, colonizing new plant roots and allowing for dispersal.

What are biofilms?

Structure formed by V. paradoxus on plant roots; dispersal from which allows for new plant colonization.

What are organic osmolytes (betaine-aldehyde dehydrogenase)?

Compounds that are used to help V. paradoxus cope with hyperosmotic stress.

What role does the V. paradoxus core genome play?

Operons which configure the bacteria for coping with hyper-osmotic stress.