Endophyte-assisted phytoremediation: mechanisms and current application strategies for soil mixed pollutants

Abstract

Phytoremediation uses plants and associated microbes to remove pollutants from the environment and is considered a promising bioremediation method. Compared with well-described single contaminant treatments, the number of studies reporting phytoremediation of soil mixed pollutants has increased recently. Endophytes, including bacteria and fungi, exhibit beneficial traits for the promotion of plant growth, stress alleviation, and biodegradation. Moreover, endophytes either directly or indirectly assist host plants to survive high concentrations of organic and inorganic pollutants in the soil. Endophytic microorganisms can also regulate the plant metabolism in different ways, exhibiting a variety of physiological characteristics. This review summarizes the taxa and physiological properties of endophytic microorganisms that may participate in the detoxification of contaminant mixtures. Furthermore, potential biomolecules that may enhance endophyte mediated phytoremediation are discussed. The practical applications of pollutant-degrading endophytes and current strategies for applying this valuable bio-resource to soil phytoremediation are summarized.

Keywords:

• Endophyte
• phytoremediation
• application strategy
• soil
• mixed pollutants
• microorganisms

Acknowledgements

The authors thank all the anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions, which greatly improved this manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This project was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41301564), the Jiangsu Government Scholarship for Overseas Studies, the Top-notch Academic Programs Project (TAPP), and the Priority Academic Program Development (PAPD) of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions of China.