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bioRxiv · 10.64898/2026.10.06.756979

From acidic extreme environments to agriculture: a multi-stress-tolerant Talaromyces pseudofuniculosus enhances soybean growth under abiotic stress

Staiano, I.·Castaldi, s.·Masi, M.·Salvatore, M. M.·de Tommasis, G.·Gentile, M. C.·Andolfi, A.·Cimmino, A.·Isticato, R.
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Abstract

Extremophilic fungi are a relatively unexplored source of stress-resilient microbes for sustainable agriculture. Here, we describe Talaromyces pseudofuniculosus FAR, isolated from the highly acidic site of Piccolo Inferno in southern Italy and identified by ITS and {beta}-tubulin (BenA) sequencing. Despite its origin from an extreme environment, T. pseudofuniculosus FRA remained fully functional under non-stress conditions and displayed tolerance to salinity and heavy metals while maintaining key plant growth-promoting traits, including phosphate solubilization, auxin-related compound production and hydrolytic activities. In soybean (Glycine max L.), the live fungus promoted plant growth under both non-stress conditions and agriculturally relevant salinity and copper stress, and successfully colonized the roots. A cell-free extracellular extract (exCFS) promoted early seedling development in vitro, but its effects were not sustained in pot experiments. GC-MS analysis provided a qualitative characterization of the extracellular metabolite profile and revealed condition-dependent differences between control, NaCl and CuSO4; growth conditions, indicating environment-dependent modulation of fungal metabolism. Overall, these findings highlight the physiological and metabolic plasticity of T. pseudofuniculosus FRA and support its potential as a fungal biostimulant for saline- and metal-impacted agricultural soils.

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Staiano, I., Castaldi, s., Masi, M., Salvatore, M. M., de Tommasis, G., Gentile, M. C., Andolfi, A., Cimmino, A., Isticato, R.. 2026-10-06. From acidic extreme environments to agriculture: a multi-stress-tolerant Talaromyces pseudofuniculosus enhances soybean growth under abiotic stress. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.10.06.756979

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