Open AccessPlant Growth Promoting Potentials of Beneficial Endophytic Escherichia coli USML2 in Association with Rice Seedlings
Author(s) -
Munirah Tharek,
Dzulaikha Khairuddin,
Nazalan Najimudin,
Amir Hamzah Ahmad Ghazali
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
tropical life sciences research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.313
H-Index - 16
eISSN - 2180-4249
pISSN - 1985-3718
DOI - 10.21315/tlsr2021.32.1.8
Subject(s) - biology , elaeis guineensis , endophyte , escherichia coli , rhizosphere , inoculation , shoot , horticulture , botany , bacteria , palm oil , food science , gene , genetics , biochemistry
An endophytic Escherichia coli USML2 originally isolated from the inner part of an oil palm ( Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) leaf tissue was inoculated to rice seedlings to investigate its ability in colonising plant inner tissues and promoting growth. Infection of E. coli USML2 was initiated by colonisation on the root surface, invasion of the interior root system followed by endophytic spreading. Inoculation of E. coli USML2 in the rice rhizosphere zone resulted in a significant increase in leaf numbers (33.3%), chlorophyll content (33.3%), shoot height (34.8%) and plant dry weight (90.4%) of 42 days old rice seedlings as compared to the control. These findings also demonstrated the ability of E. coli USML2 to spread endophytically which serves as a beneficial strategy for the bacterium to colonise the host plant and gain protection against adverse soil conditions. The genome of E. coli USML2 had also revealed predicted genes essential for endophytic bacterial colonisation and plant growth promotion which further proven potentials of E. coli USML2 as Plant Growth Promoting Endophyte (PGPE).