Assessing the ability of 26 bacteria isolated from heavy metal-contaminated soils to produce 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase validates their vital role in reducing heavy metal stress conditions. Eight of the 26 bacterial isolates showed positive results for ACC deaminase production. Isolate #11 had the highest enzyme activity by producing α-ketobutyrate (102 μM/mg protein/h). Additionally, ACC deaminase-producing, root-colonizing, non-pathogenic bacteria with a variety of advantageous properties were choices, including Bacillus licheniformis 10 (#10), Pseudomonas aeruginosa 18 (#18), Enterobacter ludwigii 11Uz (#11), and Enterobacter cloacae Uz_5 (#5). Treating wheat cultivar ‘Chillaki’ seeds with suspension #11 revealed a remarkable improvement in seed germination and growth strength (22%) under metal stress conditions. Plants grown under severe metal stress bore suspension #11 treatment, and the results showed a considerable improvement in plant growth metrics and total chlorophyll content compared with the control treatment. Additionally, in wheat seeds, the proline, catalase, and SOD activity rose by treating them with Enterobacter ludwigii 11Uz suspension. The results supported using ACC deaminase-producing Enterobacter ludwigii 11Uz (#11) for stress reduction by demonstrating that it can protect wheat plants from heavy metal stress via its antioxidant system.
Local bacteria, wheat seeds, metal stress conditions, ACC deaminase, Enterobacter ludwigii, resistance, proline, SOD, CAT, germination ratio, growth strength
ACC deaminase synthesizing bacteria with plant-growth stimulating properties showed the highest resistance to Ni and Cd cations. Select bacteria successfully investigated the morphometric characteristics and chlorophyll content of wheat plants grown under Ni and Cd stress conditions. Bacteria were notable for mitigating Ni and Cd stress conditions.