**Influence of Metal-Resistant** *Staphylococcus aureus* **Strain K1 on the Alleviation of Chromium Stress in Wheat**

**Fanrong Zeng 1, Munazza Zahoor 2, Muhammad Waseem <sup>3</sup> , Alia Anayat 4, Muhammad Rizwan <sup>2</sup> , Awais Ahmad <sup>5</sup> , Tahira Yasmeen 2,\*, Shafaqat Ali 2,6,\* , Mohamed A. El-Sheikh 7, Mohammed Nasser Alyemeni <sup>7</sup> and Leonard Wijaya <sup>7</sup>**


Received: 20 July 2020; Accepted: 26 August 2020; Published: 9 September 2020

**Abstract:** Chromium (Cr) is recognized as a toxic metal that has detrimental effects on living organisms; notably, it is discharged into soil by various industries as a result of anthropogenic activities. Microbe-assisted phytoremediation is one of the most emergent and environmentally friendly methods used for the detoxification of pollutants. In this study, the alleviative role of *Staphylococcus aureus* strain K1 was evaluated in wheat (*Triticum aestivum* L.) under Cr stress. For this, various Cr concentrations (0, 25, 50 and 100 mg·kg<sup>−</sup>1) with and without peat-moss-based bacterial inoculum were applied in the soil. Results depicted that Cr stress reduced the plants' growth by causing oxidative stress in the absence of *S. aureus* K1 inoculation. However, the application of *S. aureus* K1 regulated the plants' growth and antioxidant enzymatic activities by reducing oxidative stress and Cr toxicity through conversion of Cr6<sup>+</sup> to Cr3<sup>+</sup>. The Cr6<sup>+</sup> uptake by wheat was significantly reduced in the *S. aureus* K1 inoculated plants. It can be concluded that the application of *S. aureus* K1 could be an effective approach to alleviate the Cr toxicity in wheat and probably in other cereals grown under Cr stress.

**Keywords:** chromium; *Staphylococcus aureus*; wheat; oxidative stress; antioxidants
