Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria:
Mechanisms and Alleviation of Cold Stress
in Plants
6
Pankaj Kumar Mishra, Shekhar Chand Bisht, B. M. Pandey,
V. S. Meena, M. Parihar, D. Mahanta, J. K. Bisht, and A. Pattanayak
Abstract
Microorganisms have a variety of evolutionary adaptations and physiological
acclimation mechanisms that allow them to survive and remain active to face
environmental stress. Among the mechanisms identified in microbes, tolerance to
low temperatures is of paramount significance, considering the area of the earth’s
surface that is exposed to varying degrees of low temperatures. Based on low
temperature preference, microbes have been classified as psychrophiles or cold
loving, and psychrotrophs or cold tolerant. Psychrophiles are exposed to extremes
of cold for major part of the year, while psychrotrophs are exposed to transient
cold conditions in nature. The ability of psychrotolerant bacteria to survive and
proliferate at low temperatures implies that they have devised a number of
mechanisms that help them to tide over the transient cold. These adaptations
include lipid modification to maintain membrane fluidity, induction of specific
proteins (Csp and Cap), synthesis and utilization of cryoprotectants, cold adapted
enzymes, synthesis of ROS detoxifying enzymes, ice binding proteins, and RNA
P. K. Mishra (*) · B. M. Pandey · V. S. Meena · M. Parihar · D. Mahanta · J. K. Bisht
ICAR-Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan, Almora, Uttarakhand, India
e-mail: Pankaj.Mishra@icar.gov.in
S. C. Bisht
ICAR-Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan, Almora, Uttarakhand, India
PlantbiotiX, Bio Agri Division of Zytex Biotech Pvt. Ltd, Mumbai, India
A. Pattanayak
ICAR-Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan, Almora, Uttarakhand, India
ICAR-Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India
# The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte
Ltd. 2020
B. Giri, M. P. Sharma (eds.), Plant Stress Biology,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-9380-2_6
185
Mechanisms and Alleviation of Cold Stress
in Plants
6
Pankaj Kumar Mishra, Shekhar Chand Bisht, B. M. Pandey,
V. S. Meena, M. Parihar, D. Mahanta, J. K. Bisht, and A. Pattanayak
Abstract
Microorganisms have a variety of evolutionary adaptations and physiological
acclimation mechanisms that allow them to survive and remain active to face
environmental stress. Among the mechanisms identified in microbes, tolerance to
low temperatures is of paramount significance, considering the area of the earth’s
surface that is exposed to varying degrees of low temperatures. Based on low
temperature preference, microbes have been classified as psychrophiles or cold
loving, and psychrotrophs or cold tolerant. Psychrophiles are exposed to extremes
of cold for major part of the year, while psychrotrophs are exposed to transient
cold conditions in nature. The ability of psychrotolerant bacteria to survive and
proliferate at low temperatures implies that they have devised a number of
mechanisms that help them to tide over the transient cold. These adaptations
include lipid modification to maintain membrane fluidity, induction of specific
proteins (Csp and Cap), synthesis and utilization of cryoprotectants, cold adapted
enzymes, synthesis of ROS detoxifying enzymes, ice binding proteins, and RNA
P. K. Mishra (*) · B. M. Pandey · V. S. Meena · M. Parihar · D. Mahanta · J. K. Bisht
ICAR-Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan, Almora, Uttarakhand, India
e-mail: Pankaj.Mishra@icar.gov.in
S. C. Bisht
ICAR-Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan, Almora, Uttarakhand, India
PlantbiotiX, Bio Agri Division of Zytex Biotech Pvt. Ltd, Mumbai, India
A. Pattanayak
ICAR-Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan, Almora, Uttarakhand, India
ICAR-Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India
# The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte
Ltd. 2020
B. Giri, M. P. Sharma (eds.), Plant Stress Biology,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-9380-2_6
185