Inoculation with the endophyte Piriformospora indica significantly affects mechanisms involved in osmotic stress in rice

Background Rice is a drought susceptible crop. A symbiotic association between rice and mycorrhizal fungi could effectively protect the plant against sudden or frequent episodes of drought. Due to its extensive network of hyphae, the endophyte is able to deeply explore the soil and transfer water and minerals to the plant, some of them playing an important role in mitigating the effects of drought stress. Moreover, the endophyte could modify the expression of drought responsive genes and regulate antioxidants. Results Three rice genotypes, WC-297 (drought tolerant), Caawa (moderately drought tolerant) and IR-64 (drought susceptible) were inoculated with Piriformospora indica ( P. indica ) , a dynamic endophyte. After 20 days of co-cultivation with the fungus, rice seedlings were subjected to 15% polyethylene glycol-6000 induced osmotic stress. P. indica improved the growth of rice seedlings. It alleviated the destructive effects of the applied osmotic stress. This symbiotic association increased seedling biomass, the uptake of phosphorus and zinc, which are functional elements for rice growth under drought stress. It boosted the chlorophyll fluorescence, increased the production of proline and improved the total antioxidant capacity in leaves. The association with the endophyte also up regulated the activity of the Pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthase ( P5CS ), which is critical for the synthesis of proline. Conclusion A mycorrhizal association between P. indica and rice seedlings provided a multifaceted protection to rice plants under osmotic stress (− 0.295 MPa).