Diversity, Lifestyle, Genomics, and Their Functional Role of Cochliobolus, Bipolaris, and Curvularia Species in Environmental Remediation and Plant Growth Promotion under Biotic and Abiotic Stressors

Abstract

Cochliobolus, Bipolaris, and Curvularia genera contain various devastating plant pathogens that cause severe crop losses worldwide. The species belonging to these genera also perform a variety of diverse functions, including the remediation of environmental contaminations, beneficial phytohormone production, and maintaining their lifestyle as epiphytes, endophytes, and saprophytes. Recent research has revealed that despite their pathogenic nature, these fungi also play an intriguing role in agriculture. They act as phosphate solubilizers and produce phytohormones, such as indole acetic acid (IAA) and gibberellic acid (GAs), to accelerate the growth of various plants. Some species have also been reported to play a significant role in plant growth promotion during abiotic stresses, such as salinity stress, drought stress, heat stress, and heavy metal stress, as well as act as a biocontrol agent and a potential mycoherbicide. Similarly, these species have been reported in numerous industrial applications to produce different types of secondary metabolites and biotechnological products and possess a variety of biological properties, such as antibacterial, antileishmanial, cytotoxic, phytotoxic, and antioxidant activities. Additionally, some of the species have been utilized in the production of numerous valuable industrial enzymes and biotransformation, which has an impact on the growth of crops all over the world. However, the current literature is dispersed, and some of the key areas, such as taxonomy, phylogeny, genome sequencing, phytohormonal analysis, and diversity, are still being neglected in terms of the elucidation of its mechanisms, plant growth promotion, stress tolerance, and bioremediation. In this review, we highlighted the potential role, function, and diversity of Cochliobolus, Curvularia, and Bipolaris for improved utilization during environmental biotechnology.

Succession of tissue microbial community during oat developmental

“…They act as phosphate solubilizers and produce plant hormones, such as IAA and gibberellinic acid, to accelerate the growth of various plants. Some species play an important role in promoting plant growth under abiotic stresses, such as salt stress, drought stress, heat stress, and heavy metal stress, and act as biological control agents and potential mycoides [ 20 ]. Pyrenophora is a web spot disease of wheat, which can cause wheat infertility.…”

Editorial: Endophytic fungi producers of biomolecules of interest to human health

“…They are important sources of food, alcohol, enzymes, antibiotics, organic acids, and plant growth-promoting compounds. Endophytic fungi residing inside the aerial tissues of plants do not produce any apparent harm to the host plant ( Khan et al., 2023 ). Instead, they promote plant growth in a variety of ways, including through the release of plant growth hormones, such as cytokines, indole acetic acid, or gibberellins, and by providing biologically fixed nitrogen ( Bilal et al., 2018 ).…”