ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Microbe and Virus Interactions with Plants
This article is part of the Research TopicMicrobiome-Based Techniques for Enhancing Crops Productivity and Eliminating Environmental PollutantsView all 6 articles
Bioprotective role of Cladosporium tenuissimum counteracting heavy metal (chromium) stress in Triticum aestivum L
Provisionally accepted
- 1Center of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
- 2Qurtuba University of Sciences and Information Technology, Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan
- 3University of Swat, Saidu Sharif, Pakistan
- 4Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
- 5Bacha Khan University Charsadda, Charsadda, Pakistan
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Heavy metal pollution, particularly from Chromium (Cr), poses a significant threat to plant development and soil health. This study evaluated the efficacy of the rhizospheric fungus strain Cladosporium tenuissimum, isolated from the rhizosphere of Cannabis sativa, in enhancing early growth and physiological resilience in Triticum aestivum L. (wheat) under chromium-induced stress. The strain Cladosporium tenuissimum demonstrated tolerance through substantial biomass retention in Czapek-Dox medium at chromium concentrations between 30 and 90 mg/L and mitigated the decrease in carotenoid and chlorophyll pigments, enhanced protein and sugar levels, and significantly promoted root and shoot growth in wheat under chromium stress. Additionally, fungal therapy reduced proline accumulation and restored indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) levels, indicating improved hormonal balance and reduced stress levels. Furthermore, Cladosporium tenuissimum (C. tenuissimum) maintained membrane integrity and regulated the excess of flavonoids by reducing electrolyte leakage. Under chromium stress, the activities of antioxidant enzymes were elevated; however, fungal inoculation moderated these activities to some extent. The findings indicate that C. tenuissimum may serve as a bioprotective agent, enhancing plant tolerance and mitigating Cr toxicity through the regulation of metabolic processes, physiological responses, and antioxidant activity.
Keywords: Triticum aestivum, heavy metals, Chromium (VI), Cladosporium tenuissimum, Plant Growth, phyto-hormones, Antioxidant Enzymes
Received: 13 Aug 2025; Accepted: 11 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Gechev, Shahid, Ambrin, Bibi, Vasila and Asad. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Tsanko Gechev, gechev@cpsbb.eu
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