Abstract
Zinc (Zn) is an essential micronutrient for plant growth and development, and its deficiency in soil can be a significant problem for broccoli (Brassica oleracea L.) production. While the genetic efforts to breed Zn-efficient broccoli are complex, harnessing microbiomes is an emerging way to induce mineral efficiency in crops. In this study, broccoli, a non-host mycorrhizal species, was cultivated with or without zinc deficiency in the presence or absence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), confirmed by the colonization efficiency in roots. Zn deficiency caused a significant decrease in morphological parameters and photosynthetic attributes being consistent with the decreased Zn levels in root and shoot relative to Zn-sufficient plants. However, the broccoli plants inoculated with AMF showed a substantial improvement in morphological and photosynthetic parameters in Zn-deficient conditions due to the significant increase in tissue Zn levels. In addition, AMF-inoculated plants under Zn deficiency showed a significant decrease in cell death (%), electrolyte leakage, and H2O2 levels compared to Zn-deficient plants, which further suggests the improvements in cellular status due to the AMF colonization. The real-time PCR experiments showed a significant induction in the expression of BoZIP1 and BoNRAMP1 genes in the roots of Zn-deficient broccoli inoculated with AMF, suggesting that AMF may be associated with the induction of these genes responsible for Zn-uptake and transport. We further observed the induction of POD (peroxidase), APX (ascorbate peroxidase) and SOD (superoxide dismutase), and S-metabolites (cysteine and glutathione) predominantly in the roots of Zn-starved broccoli inoculated with AMF which may confer tolerance to Zn-deficiency induced oxidative damage. This is the first report on the role of AMF in mitigating Zn-deficiency in broccoli which may promote the microbiome-aided improvement in plant health suffering from Zn-deficiency in broccoli and other vegetable crops.
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