Positive effects of Funneliformis mosseae inoculation on reed seedlings under water and TiO2 nanoparticles stresses.

TiO₂ nanoparticles (TiO₂NPs) is one of the most widely used nanomaterials. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are an important and widely distributed group of soil microorganisms, which promote the absorption of nutrients by host plants and increase their tolerance to contaminants. However, the effects and mechanisms of AMF on plant TiO₂NPs tolerance in wetland habitats are not clear. In this experiment, under the conditions of three soil moisture contents (drought 50%, normal 70% and flooding 100%) and four TiO₂NPs concentrations (0, 100, 200 and 500 mg kg^-1), the effects of Funneliformis mosseae on the growth, antioxidant enzyme activities, osmotic substances and the absorption and accumulation of Ti in the Phragmites australis (reed) seedlings were studied. The results showed that the inoculation of F. mosseae under three moisture content conditions significantly increased the plant nutrition and root activities of reeds. Compared with the non-inoculated control, inoculation with F. mosseae increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes, the contents of chlorophyll, proline, soluble protein, and free amino acids, and significantly reduced the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) of leaves. The accumulating ability of inoculated reeds to Ti was significantly higher than that of non-inoculated controls (P < 0.05), and inoculation of F. mosseae changed the distribution of Ti in reeds, increased the accumulation of Ti in roots. It's confirmed that inoculation of F. mosseae under three water conditions could improve the plant growth and nutrition, the activities of antioxidant enzymes, and enhance the reeds tolerance to TiO₂NPs in this study.