Interaction of citrus root exudates with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria under abiotic stress conditions

Resum

In nature, plants are constantly releasing a mixture of metabolites through the roots known as root exudates. Its composition can be affected by different stimuli, including abiotic stress conditions as salinity or high temperatures. Chapter 1 demonstrates that citrus rootstocks Carrizo citrange and Citrus macrophylla exude different concentrations of proline and phytohormones depending on the abiotic stress condition and the genotype. Chapter 2 studies the effect of citrus root exudates from salt- and heat-stressed plants on the rhizobacteria Pseudomonas putida KT2440 and Novosphingobium sp. HR1a, which generally promote their growth. Moreover, the presence of proline and salicylates in root exudates was also tested through the analyses of the expression of the promoters PputA and PpahA of P. putida KT2442 and Novosphingobium sp. HR1a, respectively. Finally, Chapter 3 reveals the beneficial effect of both bacterial strains in C. macrophylla plants subjected to salt stress conditions.