Abstract
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) protect host plants against diverse biotic and abiotic stresses, and promote biodegradation of various contaminants. In this study effect of Glomus mosseae/Medicago sativa mycorrhiza on atrazine degradation was investigated. It was observed that the atrazine degradation rates with any addition level in mycorrhizal treatments were all significantly higher than those in non- mycorrhizal treatments. When atrazine was applied at 20 mg kg−1, the removal efficiency was up to 74.65%. Therefore, G. mosseae can be considered as ideal inhabitants of technical installations to facilitate phytoremediation. Furthermore, a total of 10.4 Gb was used for de novo transcriptome assembly, resulting in a comprehensive data set for the identification of genes corresponding to atrazine stress in the AM association. After comparative analysis with edgeR, a total of 2,060 differential expressed genes were identified, including 570 up-regulated genes and 1490 down-regulated genes. After excluding ‘function unknown’ and ‘general function predictions only’ genes, 172 up-regulated genes were obtained. The differentially expressed genes in AM association with and without atrazine stress were associated with molecular processes/other proteins, zinc finger protein, intracellular/extracellular enzymes, structural proteins, anti-stress/anti-disease protein, electron transport-related protein, and plant growth associated protein. Our results not only prove AMF has important ecological significance on atrazine degradation but also provide evidence for the molecular mechanisms of atrazine degradation by AMF.
Highlights
Atrazine is frequently used alone or in combination with other herbicides for combating grassy and broadleaf weeds in Zea mays and Triticum aestivum production, with 70,000–90,000 tons applied annually in the world[1]
Once an arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) association develop, mycorrhizal plants take up water and mineral nutrients, such as phosphorus (P), nitrogen (N), and trace elements more efficiently than non-mycorrhizal plants[6,7]
We observed that Glomus mosseae, the dominant species in Heilongjiang Province of China, associated with Sorghum bicolor could reduce a maximum 91.6% of atrazine significantly[11]
Summary
Atrazine is frequently used alone or in combination with other herbicides for combating grassy and broadleaf weeds in Zea mays and Triticum aestivum production, with 70,000–90,000 tons applied annually in the world[1]. It is an extensively used herbicide in the Northeast China, the largest grain production center. Atrazine degradation efficiency and growth characteristics of a wide range of bacteria have been reported worldwide[2]. These successful microbial remediation in a laboratory setting is often more difficult to achieve in situ of contaminated sites[4]. The objective of this work was to prove AMF has important ecological significance on atrazine degradation[9,10,11], and provide evidence for the molecular mechanisms of atrazine degradation by AMF27–28
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
