Phylogenetic Diversity of Epiphytic Pink-Pigmented Methylotrophic Bacteria and Role in Alleviation of Abiotic Stress in Plants

Abstract

Plant and methylotrophic bacterial interactions that improve plant growth and plant fitness are becoming a topic of very important considerable interest. Methylotropic bacteria are distributed in various diverse environments/colonize different habitats and utilize reduced one-carbon compounds as source of energy and play an important role in the biogeochemical cycle. Methylotrophic bacteria colonize in different parts of the plants like endophytes, epiphytes and in roots of plant rhizosphere. Pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophic (PPFM) bacteria present in the phyllosphere enhance plant growth by producing phytohormones such as IAA, Zeatin, Cytokinins, ACC deaminase and diverse secondary metabolites to overcome abiotic stress. Biological interactions of Methylotrophic bacteria enhance plant growth indirectly by increasing the nutrients uptake and beneficial in reduction of greenhouse effects to the environments. Pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophic bacteria colonize in phyllosphere of plants as epiphytes and utilize methanol as a sole carbon source of energy. In plant colonization, the occurrence and distribution of Methylotrophic bacteria may be influenced by various factors like plant genotype, geographical conditions or by interactions with associated microorganisms and phytohormones production which may result and lead to increased plant fitness.