In: Sydowia 77, (2025): 193-209; ISSN 0082-0598, DOI 10.12905/0380.sydowia77-2025-0193, Published online on December 17th, 2024

Plant-growth-promoting endophytic fungi of some wild plants from harsh habitats in Egypt

Ahmed M. Abdel-Azeem, Fatma A. Abo Nouh, Abdelghafar M. Abu-Elsaoud & Bassem A. Balbool*

1 Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt
2 Research Institute of the University of Bucharest–ICUB, 91–95 Splaiul Independent¸ei St., District 5, 050095 Bucharest, Romania
3 Department of Biology, College of Science, Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh 11623, Saudi Arabia
4 Faculty of Biotechnology, October University for Modern Sciences and Arts, Egypt
*e-mail: bbalbool@msa.edu.eg

Abdel-Azeem A.M., Abo Nouh F.A., Abu-Elsaoud A.M. & Balbool B.A. (2024) Plant-growth-promoting endophytic fungi of some wild plants from harsh habitats in Egypt. – Sydowia 77: 193–209.

Fungal endophytes act as an immune system to the host plants, allowing them to tolerate biotic and abiotic stresses and promote plant growth. Fungal endophytes might be helpful for agricultural and horticultural applications. Fungal taxa that are recovered from wild plants growing in harsh environments, viz. North Sinai, is a sustainable source of novel bioactive metabolites.
We isolated twenty-six endophytic fungal taxa from 6 wild plants (Cakile maritima, Datura metel, Hyoscyamus muticus, Artemisia monosperma, Zygophyllum album and Bassia indica). In the presented study we examined the frequent taxa for abiotic stress tolerance, e.g., salt and drought, the ability of plant growth promoting (PGP) traits production, e.g., Indole Acetic Acid (IAA), phosphate solubilization, ammonia production, and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase (ACC), and the production of extracellular enzymes e.g., amylase, pectinase, chitinase, protease, cellulase, lipase, and urease. Most isolates showed variability in abiotic stress tolerance, production of plant growth promoting, and secretion of extracellular hydrolytic enzymes.
Three isolates in this study showed the highest values in stress tolerance and plant growth promotion: Trichoderma atroviride (PP055997.1), Fusarium acutatum (PP038127.1), and Aspergillus terreus (PP038155.1). They were able to produce all the tested extracellular enzymes. According to the current in vitro research, studying fungal endophytes is a valuable strategy for creating systems that could shield various crop species that are vulnerable to drought and salt stress.

Keywords: Abiotic stress, drought, endophyte, plant growth promotion, salinity, Suez Canal University Fungarium.