Endophytes are known to improve plant growth using a multitude of mechanisms. Bacteria use a variety of mechanisms to penetrate and reside in a host. Producing hydrolytic enzymes is one of these mechanisms which hydrolyses the cell wall components of plant cells helping bacteria to enter through root hairs and lateral roots. The present study focused on the production of hydrolytic enzyme by endophytic bacteria isolated from Vigna radiata and Cajanus cajan. Out of forty seven endophytic bacteria, nine isolates, namely, MJiR8, MJiN16, MJiN13, MJhN14, ARR4, MBR9, MHN3, MBN2, and MHN12 were found to produce all the four enzymes, namely, amylase, cellulase, protease, and pectinase. Five isolates ARR4, MBR9, MHN3, MJiN13, and MHN12 showed distinct restriction pattern on the basis of ARDRA profiling and further identified using 16S rDNA sequencing. The results revealed their identity toward the different species of Bacillus or Bacillus derived genera, that is, ARR4 (Bacillus megaterium NAP8), MBR9 (Bacillus subtilis NMP1), MHN3 (Bacillus cereus NMP2), MJiN3 (Bacillus panacihumi NMP3), and MHN12 (Bacillus licheniformis MHN12). The isolates also possessed different plant growth promoting (PGP) features and significantly enhanced all plant growth parameters except nodulation. These highly efficient strains with multiple enzyme production and PGP features can be harnessed to facilitate the close association between host plants and PGP bacteria providing better yield and reduced application of agro-chemicals.
Key words: Amylase, Cajanus cajan, Cellulase, Pectinase, Protease, Vigna radiata
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