Changes in cucumber hypocotyl cell wall dynamics caused by Azospirillum brasilense inoculation.

We previously reported that Azospirillum brasilense induced a more elastic cell wall and a higher apoplastic water fraction in both wheat coleoptile and flag leaf. These biophysical characteristics could permit increased growth. Knowledge of the biochemical effects the bacteria could elicit in plant cell walls and how these responses change plant physiology is still scarce. The objective of this work was to analyze whether A. brasilense Sp245 inoculation affected elongation and extensibility of growing cucumber (Cucumis sativus) hypocotyls and ionically bound cell wall peroxidase activities. Hypocotyl tip and basal segments were excised from A. brasilense Sp245-inoculated cucumber seedlings growing in darkness under hydroponic conditions. Elongation, cell wall extensibility, cell wall peroxidase activities against ferulic acid and guaiacol and NADH oxidase activities were analyzed. Azospirillum-inoculated cucumber seedlings grew bigger than non-inoculated ones. Dynamic cell wall differences were detected between inoculated and non-inoculated hypocotyls. They included greater acid-induced cell wall extension and in vivo elongation when incubated in distilled water. Although there was no difference between treatments in either region of the hypocotyl NADH oxidase and ferulic acid peroxidase activities were lower in both regions in inoculated seedlings. These lesser activities could be delaying the stiffening of cell wall in inoculated seedlings. These results showed that the cell wall is a target for A. brasilense growth promotion. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.