• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.759-771
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• 2023

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are naturally occurring bacteria that intensively colonize plant roots and are crucial in promoting the crop growth. These beneficial microorganisms have garnered considerable attention as potential bio-inoculants for sustainable agriculture. PGPR directly interacts with plants by providing essential nutrients through nitrogen fixation and phosphate solubilization and accelerating the accessibility of other trace elements such as Cu, Zn, and Fe. Additionally, they produce plant growth-promoting phytohormones, such as indole acetic acids (IAA), indole butyric acids (IBA), gibberellins, and cytokinins.PGPR interacts with plants indirectly by protecting them from diseases and infections by producing antibiotics, siderophores, hydrogen cyanide, and fungal cell wall-degrading enzymes such as glucanases, chitinases, and proteases. Furthermore, PGPR protects plants against abiotic stresses such as drought and salinity by producing 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase and modulating plant stress markers. Bacteria belonging to genera such as Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Burkholderia, Pantoa, and Enterobacter exhibit multiple plant growth-promoting traits, that can enhance plant growth directly, indirectly, or through synergetic effects. This comprehensive review emphasizes how PGPR influences plant growth promotion and presents promising prospects for its application in sustainable agriculture.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.374-383
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• 2021

Rhizoctonia solani is one of the major pathogens that cause sheath blight disease in rice. Sheath blight is one of the most difficult diseases to control. Biological control (with the use of rhizobacteria) is one of the ways to control this disease. Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) is a rhizosphere bacterium that can be used to enhance plant growth. The composition of the rhizobacteria in organic and nonorganic soil is affected by the chemical characteristics of the soil - which influences plant physiology and root exudation patterns. This study aimed to obtain a species of rhizobacteria which shows PGPR activity, from organic and nonorganic rice fields and test their capability to suppress R. solani growth. Out of 23 isolates screened for PGPR activity, the following isolates showed high PGPR activity and were selected for in vitro antagonistic activity testing against R. solani: ISO6, ISO11, ISO15, ISN2, ISN3, and ISN7, The six isolates produced 43,42-75,23 ppm of IAA, possessed phosphorus solubilization capability, and chitinase-producing activity. ISO6 (54.88%) and ISN7 (83.33%) displayed high inhibition capacities against R. solani, in vitro. ISO6 and ISN7 inhibited the growth of R. solani lesions on rice leaves by 89% and 100% (without lesion), respectively, after 7 days of incubation. Analysis of their 16S rRNA sequences revealed that the ISO6 isolate was Citrobacter freundii and ISN7 isolate was Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.310-315
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• 2015

Certain bacterial species associate with plant roots in soil. The plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) stimulate plant growth and yield in greenhouse and field. Here, we examined whether application of known bacilli PGPR strains stimulated growth and asexual reproduction in the succulent plant Kalanchoe daigremontiana. Four PGPR strains B. amyloliquefaciens IN937a, B. cereus BS107, B. pumilus INR7, and B. subtilis GB03 were applied to young plantlets by soil-drenching, and plant growth and development was monitored for three months. Aerial growth was significantly stimulated in PGPR-inoculated plants, which was observed as increases in plant height, shoot weight, and stem width. The stimulated growth influenced plant development by increasing the total number of leaves per plant. Treatment with bacilli also increased the total root biomass compared with that of control plants, and led to a 2-fold increase in asexual reproduction and plantlet formation on the leaf. Collectively, our results firstly demonstrate that Bacillus spp. promote vegetative development of K. daigremontiana, and the enhanced growth stimulates asexual reproduction and plantlet formation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.95.1-95
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• 2003

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have been shown to suppress phytopthora blight. This suppression has been related to both microbial antagonism and induced resistance. The PGPR isolates were screened by dual culture plate method and most of the isolates were showed varying levels of antagonism. Among the PGPR isolates pyoverdin, pyochelin and salicylic acid producing strains showed the maximum inhibition of mycelial growth of Phytopkhora capsici and increased plant growth promotion in red pepper. PGPR isolates further analysed for its ability to induce production of defence related enzymes and chemicals. The activities such as Phenyle alanin ammonia Iyase (PAL), Peroxidase (PO), Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and accumulation of phenolics were observed in PGPR pretreated red pepper plants challenged with Phytopkhora capsici. The present study shows that an addition of direct antagonism and plant growth promotion, induction of defense related enzymes involved to enhance resistance against invasion of P. capsici in red pepper.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1281-1293
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• 2019

The rhizosphere is the active zone where plant roots communicate with the soil microbiome, each responding to the other's signals. The soil microbiome within the rhizosphere that is beneficial to plant growth and productivity is known as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). PGPR take part in many pivotal plant processes, including plant growth, development, immunity, and productivity, by influencing acquisition and utilization of nutrient molecules, regulation of phytohormone biosynthesis, signaling, and response, and resistance to biotic- and abiotic-stresses. PGPR also produce secondary compounds and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that elicit plant growth. Moreover, plant roots exude attractants that cause PGPR to aggregate in the rhizosphere zone for colonization, improving soil properties and protecting plants against pathogenic factors. The interactions between PGPR and plant roots in rhizosphere are essential and interdependent. Many studies have reported that PGPR function in multiple ways under the same or diverse conditions, directly and indirectly. This review focuses on the roles and strategies of PGPR in enhancing nutrient acquisition by nutrient fixation/solubilization/mineralization, inducing plant growth regulators/phytohormones, and promoting growth and development of root and shoot by affecting cell division, elongation, and differentiation. We also summarize the current knowledge of the effects of PGPR and the soil microbiota on plants.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.777-790
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• 2011

To elucidate the biodiversity of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in Korea, 7,638 bacteria isolated from the rhizosphere of plant species growing in many different regions were screened. A large number of PGPR were identified by testing the ability of each isolate to promote the growth of cucumber seedlings. After redundant rhizobacteria were removed via amplified rDNA restriction analysis, 90 strains were finally selected as PGPR. On the basis of 16S ribosomal RNA sequences, 68 Gram-positive (76%) and 22 Gram-negative (24%) isolates were assigned to 21 genera and 47 species. Of these genera, Bacillus (32 species) made up the largest complement, followed by Paenibacillus (19) and Pseudomonas (11). Phylogenetic analysis showed that most of the Grampositive PGPR fell into two categories: low- and high- G+C (Actinobacteria) strains. The Gram-negative PGPR were distributed in three categories: ${\alpha}$-proteobacteria, ${\beta}$- proteobacteria, and ${\gamma}$-proteobacteria. To our knowledge, this is the largest screening study designed to isolate diverse PGPR. The enlarged understanding of PGPR genetic diversity provided herein will expand the knowledge base regarding beneficial plant-microbe interactions. The outcome of this research may have a practical effect on crop production methodologies.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.223-229
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• 2020

The application of plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) supports the growth of plants in contaminated soil while ureolytic bacteria can immobilise heavy metals by carbonate precipitation. Thus, dual treatment with such bacteria may be beneficial for plant growth and bioremediation in contaminated soil. This study aimed to determine whether the PGPR Pseudomonas fluorescens could work in synergy with ureolytic bacteria to assist with the remediation of cadmium (Cd)- and lead (Pb)-contaminated soils. Pot experiments were conducted to grow radish plants in Cd- and Pb-contaminated soils treated with PGPR P. fluorescens and the results were compared with dual inoculation of P. fluorescens combined with ureolytic Staphylococcus epidermidis HJ2. The removal rate of the metals from the soil was more than 83% for Cd and Pb by the combined treatment compared to 17% by PGPR alone. Further, the dual treatment reduced the metal accumulation in the roots by more than 80%. The translocation factors for Cd and Pb in plant tissues in both treatments remained the same, suggesting that PGPR combined with the carbonate precipitation process does not hamper the transfer of essential metal ions into plant tissues from the soil.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.52-57
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• 2007

Growth promotion of wild plants by some plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) was examined in the microcosms composed of soils collected separately from a grass-covered site and a nongrass-covered site in a lakeside barren area at Lake Paro, Korea. After sowing the seeds of eight kinds of wild plants and inoculation of several strains of PGPR, the total bacterial number and microbial activity were measured during 5 months of study period, and the plant biomasses grown were compared at the end of the study. Acridine orange direct counts in the inoculated microcosms, $1.3-9.8{\times}10^9\;cells{\cdot}g\;soil^{-1}$ in the soil from the grass-covered area and $0.9-7.2{\times}10^9\;cells{\cdot}g\;soil^{-1}$ in the soil from the nongrass-covered site, were almost twice higher than those in the uninoculated microcosms. The number of Pseudomonas sp., well-known bacteria as PGPR, and the soil dehydrogenase activity were also higher in the inoculated soils than the uninoculated soils. The first germination of sowed seeds in the inoculated microcosm was 5 days earlier than the uninoculated microcosm. Average lengths of all plants grown during the study period were 26% and 29% longer in the inoculated microcosms starting with the grass-covered soil and the nongrass-covered soil, respectively, compared with those in the uninoculated microcosms. Dry weights of whole plants grown were 67-82% higher in the inoculated microcosms than the uninoculated microcosms. Microbial population and activity and growth promoting effect by PGPR were all higher in the soils collected from the grass-covered area than in the nongrass-covered area. The growth enhancement of wild plants seemed to occur by the activities of inoculated microorganisms, and this capability of PGPR may be utilized for rapid revegetation of some barren lands.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2003.10b
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• pp.47-47
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• 2003

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have been shown to suppress phytopthora blight. This suppression has been related to both microbial antagonism and induced resistance. The PGPR isolates were screened by dual culture plate method and most of the isolates were showed varyinglevels of antagonism. Among the PGPR isolates pyoverdin, pyochelin and salicylic acid producing strains showed the maximum inhibition of mycelial growth of Phytophthora capsici and increased plant growth promotion in red pepper. PGPR isolatesfurther analysed for its ability to induce production of defence related enzymes and chemicals. The activities such as Phenyle alanin ammonia lyase (PAL), Peroxidase (PO), Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and accumulation of phenolics were observed in PGPR pretreated red pepper plants challenged with Phytophthora capsici. The present study shows that an addition of direct antagonism and plant growth promotion, induction of defense related enzymes involved to enhance resistance against invasion of P. capsici in red pepper.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2010.10a
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• pp.17-17
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• 2010

Rhizobacteria are a diverse group of free-living soil bacteria that live in plant rhizosphere and colonized the root system. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) possessing ACC deaminase (ACCD) can reduce ACC and ethylene in plant tissue and mediated the growth of plants under various stresses including salt stress. ACCD decrease ethylene levels in plant tissue that produce high levels of ethylene in tissue via elevated levels of ACC under salt stress. We selected strains of Pseudomonas sp. possessing ACCD activity for their ability to promote plant growth under salt stress from soil sample collected at Byeonsan, Jeonbuk, South Korea. The Pseudomonas strains possessing ACCD increased the rate of the seedling and growth of chinese cabbage seeds under salt stress. We cloned ACCD gene from P.fluorescens and expressed recombinant protein in Escherichia coli. The active form of recombinant ACCD converted ACC to a-ketobutyrate. The in vivo treatment of recombinant ACCD itself increase the rate of the seedling and growth of Chinese cabbage seeds under salt stress. The polyclonal P.fluorescens anti-ACCD antibody specifically reacted with ACCD originated from Pseudomonas. This indicates that the antibody might act as an important indicator for ACCD driven from Pseudomonas exhibiting plant growth-promoting activity. This study will be useful for identification of newly isolated PGPR containing ACCD and exploioting the ACCD activity from PGPR against various biotic and abiotic stresses.