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21 pages, 4001 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Changes in Metal-Chelating Metabolites Induced by Drought and a Root Microbiome in Wheat

by Anne J. Anderson, Joshua M. Hortin, Astrid R. Jacobson, David W. Britt and Joan E. McLean

Plants 2023, 12(6), 1209; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12061209 - 7 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1947

Abstract

The essential metals Cu, Zn, and Fe are involved in many activities required for normal and stress responses in plants and their microbiomes. This paper focuses on how drought and microbial root colonization influence shoot and rhizosphere metabolites with metal-chelation properties. Wheat seedlings, [...] Read more.

The essential metals Cu, Zn, and Fe are involved in many activities required for normal and stress responses in plants and their microbiomes. This paper focuses on how drought and microbial root colonization influence shoot and rhizosphere metabolites with metal-chelation properties. Wheat seedlings, with and without a pseudomonad microbiome, were grown with normal watering or under water-deficit conditions. At harvest, metal-chelating metabolites (amino acids, low molecular weight organic acids (LMWOAs), phenolic acids, and the wheat siderophore) were assessed in shoots and rhizosphere solutions. Shoots accumulated amino acids with drought, but metabolites changed little due to microbial colonization, whereas the active microbiome generally reduced the metabolites in the rhizosphere solutions, a possible factor in the biocontrol of pathogen growth. Geochemical modeling with the rhizosphere metabolites predicted Fe formed Fe–Ca–gluconates, Zn was mainly present as ions, and Cu was chelated with the siderophore 2′-deoxymugineic acid, LMWOAs, and amino acids. Thus, changes in shoot and rhizosphere metabolites caused by drought and microbial root colonization have potential impacts on plant vigor and metal bioavailability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Microbe Interactions 2022)

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17 pages, 3032 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Inhibition of Autophagy Increases Cell Death in HeLa Cells through Usnic Acid Isolated from Lichens

by Madhuree Kumari, Siya Kamat, Sandeep Kumar Singh, Ajay Kumar and C. Jayabaskaran

Plants 2023, 12(3), 519; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12030519 - 23 Jan 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2100

Abstract

The Western Ghats, India, is a hotspot for lichen diversity. However, the pharmacological importance of lichen-associated metabolites remains untapped. This study aimed to evaluate the cytotoxic potential of lichens of this region. For this, sixteen macrolichens were collected and identified from two locations [...] Read more.

The Western Ghats, India, is a hotspot for lichen diversity. However, the pharmacological importance of lichen-associated metabolites remains untapped. This study aimed to evaluate the cytotoxic potential of lichens of this region. For this, sixteen macrolichens were collected and identified from two locations in the Western Ghats. The acetone extract of Usnea cornuta (UC2A) showed significant cytotoxicity towards multiple human cancer cell lines. Interestingly, co-treatment with chloroquine (CQ), an autophagy inhibitor, increased the cytotoxic potential of the UC2A extract. A gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) study revealed usnic acid (UA), atraric acid and barbatic acid as the dominant cytotoxic compounds in the UC2A extract. Further, UA was purified and identified from the UC2A extract and evaluated for cytotoxicity in HeLa cells. The monodansyl cadaverine and mitotracker red double staining revealed the autophagy-inducing activities of UA, and the inhibition of autophagy was confirmed via CQ treatment. Autophagy inhibition increased the cytotoxicity of UA by 12–16% in a concentration-dependent manner. It also increased lipid peroxidation, ROS levels and mitochondrial depolarization and decreased glutathione availability. A decrease in zeta potential and a 40% increase in caspase 3/7 activity were also noted after CQ treatment of UA-treated cells. Thus, cytotoxicity of UA can be increased by inhibiting autophagy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Microbe Interactions 2022)

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15 pages, 1538 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bioformulation Containing Cohorts of Ensifer adhaerens MSN12 and Bacillus cereus MEN8 for the Nutrient Enhancement of Cicer arietinum L.

by Nitin Baliyan, Kamal A. Qureshi, Mariusz Jaremko, Minakshi Rajput, Monika Singh, Sandhya Dhiman, Dinesh Kumar Maheshwari, Chandra Kant and Ajay Kumar

Plants 2022, 11(22), 3123; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11223123 - 15 Nov 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2561

Abstract

Here we examine the effects of different carrier based bioinoculants on the growth, yield and nutritional value of chickpea and on associated soil nutrients. A consortium of two taxonomically distinct endophytic bacteria—Ensifer adhaerens MSN12 and Bacillus cereus MEN8—have promising plant growth promoting [...] Read more.

Here we examine the effects of different carrier based bioinoculants on the growth, yield and nutritional value of chickpea and on associated soil nutrients. A consortium of two taxonomically distinct endophytic bacteria—Ensifer adhaerens MSN12 and Bacillus cereus MEN8—have promising plant growth promoting (PGP) attributes. We demonstrate their delivery from the laboratory to the field via the formulation of an effective bioinoculant with economic and accessible carriers. Sugarcane straw ash (SCSA) was found to be an efficient carrier and bioformulation for enhancing viability and shelf-life of strains up to 12 months. A bioformulation containing an SCSA-based consortium (MSN12 + MEN8) increased seed germination by 7%, plant weight by 29%, length by 17%, seed-yield by 12%, harvesting index by 14% and proximate nutritional constituents by 20% over consortium treatment without SCSA. In addition, the bioformulation of post-harvest treated soil improved the physico-chemical properties of the soil in comparison to a pre-sowing SCSA-based bioformulation treated crop, being fortified in different proximate nutritional constituents including dry matter (30%), crude protein (45%), crude fiber (35%), and ether extract (40%) in comparison to the control. Principal component analysis and scattered matrix plots showed a positive correlation among the treatments, which also validates improvement in the soil nutrient components and proximate constituents by T6 treatment (MSN12 + MEN8 + SCSA). The above results suggest efficiency of SCSA not only as a carrier material but also to support microbial growth for adequate delivery of lab strains as a substitute for chemi-fertilizers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Microbe Interactions 2022)

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19 pages, 3087 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Interaction between Hydromulching and Arbuscular Mycorrhiza Improves Escarole Growth and Productivity by Regulating Nutrient Uptake and Hormonal Balance

by Miriam Romero-Muñoz, Amparo Gálvez, Purificación A. Martínez-Melgarejo, María Carmen Piñero, Francisco M. del Amor, Alfonso Albacete and Josefa López-Marín

Plants 2022, 11(20), 2795; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11202795 - 21 Oct 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1734

Abstract

To improve water and nutrient use efficiencies some strategies have been proposed, such as the use of mulching techniques or arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation. To gain insights into the interaction between the use of hydromulch and AMF inoculation on plant growth and [...] Read more.

To improve water and nutrient use efficiencies some strategies have been proposed, such as the use of mulching techniques or arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation. To gain insights into the interaction between the use of hydromulch and AMF inoculation on plant growth and productivity, escarole plants (Cichorium endivia, L.) were inoculated with the AMF Rhizophagus irregularis and grown with non-inoculated plants under different soil cover treatments: ecological hydromulching based on the substrate of mushroom cultivation (MS), low-density black polyethylene (PE), and non-covered soil (BS). AMF inoculation or the use of mulching alone, but especially their interaction, increased the plant growth. The growth improvement observed in AMF-inoculated escarole plants grown under hydromulching conditions was mainly associated with the upgrading of nitrogen and phosphorous use efficiency through the regulation of the hormonal balance. Both hydromulching and AMF inoculation were found to increase the active gibberellins (GAs) and cytokinins (CKs), resulting in a positive correlation between these hormones and the growth-related parameters. In contrast, the ethylene precursor 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) and abscisic acid (ABA) decreased in AMF-inoculated plants and especially in those grown with the MS treatment. This study demonstrates that there exists a positive interaction between AMF and hydromulching which enhances the growth of escarole plants by improving nutrient use efficiency and hormonal balance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Microbe Interactions 2022)

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12 pages, 1041 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Plant Preservative Mixture^TM on Endophytic Bacteria Eradication from In Vitro-Grown Apple Shoots

by Natalya V. Romadanova, Arman B. Tolegen, Svetlana V. Kushnarenko, Elena V. Zholdybayeva and Jean Carlos Bettoni

Plants 2022, 11(19), 2624; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11192624 - 5 Oct 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4924

Abstract

Endophytic contaminants are a common problem for the in vitro propagation of woody plants and have significant economic repercussions for the conservation of plant genetic resources and commercial micropropagation. In this study, first, the microbial contamination that appeared around the base of in [...] Read more.

Endophytic contaminants are a common problem for the in vitro propagation of woody plants and have significant economic repercussions for the conservation of plant genetic resources and commercial micropropagation. In this study, first, the microbial contamination that appeared around the base of in vitro-grown apple shoots was identified as Bacillus megaterium. Then, plant preservative mixture (PPM^TM) was used as a bactericidal agent in plant tissue culture. Its efficacy for eradicating endophytic B. megaterium in in vitro cultures of apple was tested. In vitro-contaminated shoots were grown in tissue culture medium supplemented with 0.2% v/v PPM^TM for 12 weeks and then transferred to medium without any PPM^TM and cultured for 24 weeks. This study showed that PPM^TM is an effective agent for controlling the growth of B. megaterium. Our results highlight the species-specific response of apple shoots to PPM^TM. PPM^TM was effective in controlling endogenous microbial contaminations from apple varieties ‘Golden Delicious’, ‘Landsberger Renette’, ‘Suislepper’, and ‘Aport krovavo-krasnyi’; meanwhile, in ‘KG 7’ and ‘Gold Rush’, all the plants grown in the absence of PPM^TM were still bacterially contaminated, even though they were pre-treated for 12 weeks in PPM^TM-supplemented medium. These results therefore suggest the essentiality of further testing of extended incubation of PPM^TM in these cultivars that had outbreaks of bacterial contamination. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Microbe Interactions 2022)

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13 pages, 3058 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Rhizobacterium, Streptomyces albulus Z1-04-02, Displays Antifungal Activity against Sclerotium Rot in Mungbean

by On-Uma Ruangwong, Kaewalin Kunasakdakul, Sompong Chankaew, Kitsada Pitija and Anurag Sunpapao

Plants 2022, 11(19), 2607; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11192607 - 4 Oct 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2535

Abstract

Sclerotium rot causes damping-off and stem rot in seedlings and mature mungbeans, which negatively impacts cultivation. The use of a rhizobacterium to control soil-borne diseases is an alternative method to the excess use of synthetic fungicides; therefore, this study aims to screen rhizosphere [...] Read more.

Sclerotium rot causes damping-off and stem rot in seedlings and mature mungbeans, which negatively impacts cultivation. The use of a rhizobacterium to control soil-borne diseases is an alternative method to the excess use of synthetic fungicides; therefore, this study aims to screen rhizosphere actinobacteria with fungicidal activities against Sclerotium rolfsii, the pathogen that causes sclerotium rot in mungbeans. Primary screening showed that the Streptomyces sp. isolate Z1-04-02 displayed the highest effectiveness against S. rolfsii in dual culture plates, with a percentage inhibition of 74.28%. An assay containing enzymes that degrade cell walls, of the cell-free culture filtrate (CF) of Z1-04-02, showed that the activities of chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase were 0.0209 and 1.0210 U/mL, respectively, which was significantly higher than that of the control (media alone). The cell-free CF of Z1-04-02, incubated at 37 °C and 100 °C, using agar well diffusion, effectively inhibited the growth of S. rolfsii with inhibition percentages of 37.78% and 27.78%, respectively. Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) was applied to trap volatiles released from Z1-04-02 and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS); volatile antifungal compounds were tentatively identified as bicyclic monoterpene (1R)-(-)-myrtenal. The application of the cell-free CF, and the spore suspension of Z1-04-02, showed disease severity indexes (DSIs) of 12.5% and 8.25%, respectively, which were significantly lower than those showing inoculation by S. rolfsii alone. The identification of this strain by morphology, biochemistry tests, and 16s rDNA sequences revealed that Z1-04-02 was Streptomyces albulus. This finding revealed that S. albulus Z1-04-02 displayed diverse fungicidal activities against S. rolfsii, and it has the potential to act as a biological control agent in terms of inhibiting sclerotium rot in mungbeans. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Microbe Interactions 2022)

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27 pages, 2621 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Genome Analyses of Plant Rust Pathogen Genomes Reveal a Confluence of Pathogenicity Factors to Quell Host Plant Defense Responses

by Raja Sekhar Nandety, Upinder S. Gill, Nick Krom, Xinbin Dai, Yibo Dong, Patrick X. Zhao and Kirankumar S. Mysore

Plants 2022, 11(15), 1962; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11151962 - 28 Jul 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2862

Abstract

Switchgrass rust caused by Puccinia novopanici (P. novopanici) has the ability to significantly affect the biomass yield of switchgrass, an important biofuel crop in the United States. A comparative genome analysis of P. novopanici with rust pathogen genomes infecting monocot [...] Read more.

Switchgrass rust caused by Puccinia novopanici (P. novopanici) has the ability to significantly affect the biomass yield of switchgrass, an important biofuel crop in the United States. A comparative genome analysis of P. novopanici with rust pathogen genomes infecting monocot cereal crops wheat, barley, oats, maize and sorghum revealed the presence of larger structural variations contributing to their genome sizes. A comparative alignment of the rust pathogen genomes resulted in the identification of collinear and syntenic relationships between P. novopanici and P. sorghi; P. graminis tritici 21–0 (Pgt 21) and P. graminis tritici Ug99 (Pgt Ug99) and between Pgt 21 and P. triticina (Pt). Repeat element analysis indicated a strong presence of retro elements among different Puccinia genomes, contributing to the genome size variation between ~1 and 3%. A comparative look at the enriched protein families of Puccinia spp. revealed a predominant role of restriction of telomere capping proteins (RTC), disulfide isomerases, polysaccharide deacetylases, glycoside hydrolases, superoxide dismutases and multi-copper oxidases (MCOs). All the proteomes of Puccinia spp. share in common a repertoire of 75 secretory and 24 effector proteins, including glycoside hydrolases cellobiohydrolases, peptidyl-propyl isomerases, polysaccharide deacetylases and protein disulfide-isomerases, that remain central to their pathogenicity. Comparison of the predicted effector proteins from Puccinia spp. genomes to the validated proteins from the Pathogen–Host Interactions database (PHI-base) resulted in the identification of validated effector proteins PgtSR1 (PGTG_09586) from P. graminis and Mlp124478 from Melampsora laricis across all the rust pathogen genomes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Microbe Interactions 2022)

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18 pages, 8630 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Bioprospects of Endophytic Bacteria in Plant Growth Promotion and Ag-Nanoparticle Biosynthesis

by Monika Singh, Kamal A. Qureshi, Mariusz Jaremko, Minakshi Rajput, Sandeep Kumar Singh, Kaushalendra, Kapil D. Pandey, Luiz Fernando Romanholo Ferreira and Ajay Kumar

Plants 2022, 11(14), 1787; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11141787 - 6 Jul 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3274

Abstract

In this study, five endophytic bacterial strains, namely Rhizobium pusense (MS-1), Bacillus cereus MS-2, Bacillus flexus (MS-3), Methylophilus flavus (MS-4), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MS-5), were used to investigate their potential role in the enhancement of growth yields of two types of tomato varieties, [...] Read more.

In this study, five endophytic bacterial strains, namely Rhizobium pusense (MS-1), Bacillus cereus MS-2, Bacillus flexus (MS-3), Methylophilus flavus (MS-4), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MS-5), were used to investigate their potential role in the enhancement of growth yields of two types of tomato varieties, viz. hybrid and local, and in the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The inoculation of bacterial strains enhanced the root and shoot length, biomass, and leaf chlorophyll contents. The fruit weight of the tomato (kg/plant) was also higher in the bacteria inoculated plants of both hybrid and local varieties than in the control (untreated). A significant increase was recorded in the fruit yield (g/plant) in all the treatments, whereas Methylophilus flavus (MS-4) inoculated plants yielded nearly 2.5 times more fruit weight compared to the control in the hybrid variety and two times higher in the local variety. The response to M. flavus as a microbial inoculant was greater than to the other strains. Biosynthesis of Ag nanoparticles was also carried out using all five endophytic bacterial strains. The weakest producers of AgNPs were Rhizobium pusense (MS-1) and Methylophilus flavus (MS-4), while Bacillus cereus MS-2, Bacillus flexus (MS-3), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MS-5) were strong producers of AgNPs. Nanoparticles were further characterized using high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), UV-Vis spectrophotometry, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and revealed cuboidal shaped AgNPs in the Bacillus cereus MS-2 strain. In addition, the biosynthesized AgNPs showed antibacterial activity against various pathogenic and endophytic bacterial strains. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Microbe Interactions 2022)

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Review

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20 pages, 1673 KiB

Open AccessReview

Insights into the Methodological, Biotic and Abiotic Factors Influencing the Characterization of Xylem-Inhabiting Microbial Communities of Olive Trees

by Manuel Anguita-Maeso, Juan A. Navas-Cortés and Blanca B. Landa

Plants 2023, 12(4), 912; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12040912 - 17 Feb 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3362

Abstract

Vascular pathogens are the causal agents of some of the most devastating plant diseases in the world, which can cause, under specific conditions, the destruction of entire crops. These plant pathogens activate a range of physiological and immune reactions in the host plant [...] Read more.

Vascular pathogens are the causal agents of some of the most devastating plant diseases in the world, which can cause, under specific conditions, the destruction of entire crops. These plant pathogens activate a range of physiological and immune reactions in the host plant following infection, which may trigger the proliferation of a specific microbiome to combat them by, among others, inhibiting their growth and/or competing for space. Nowadays, it has been demonstrated that the plant microbiome can be modified by transplanting specific members of the microbiome, with exciting results for the control of plant diseases. However, its practical application in agriculture for the control of vascular plant pathogens is hampered by the limited knowledge of the plant endosphere, and, in particular, of the xylem niche. In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of how research on the plant microbiome has evolved during the last decades to unravel the factors and complex interactions that affect the associated microbial communities and their surrounding environment, focusing on the microbial communities inhabiting the xylem vessels of olive trees (Olea europaea subsp. europaea), the most ancient and important woody crop in the Mediterranean Basin. For that purpose, we have highlighted the role of xylem composition and its associated microorganisms in plants by describing the methodological approaches explored to study xylem microbiota, starting from the methods used to extract xylem microbial communities to their assessment by culture-dependent and next-generation sequencing approaches. Additionally, we have categorized some of the key biotic and abiotic factors, such as the host plant niche and genotype, the environment and the infection with vascular pathogens, that can be potential determinants to critically affect olive physiology and health status in a holobiont context (host and its associated organisms). Finally, we have outlined future directions and challenges for xylem microbiome studies based on the recent advances in molecular biology, focusing on metagenomics and culturomics, and bioinformatics network analysis. A better understanding of the xylem olive microbiome will contribute to facilitate the exploration and selection of specific keystone microorganisms that can live in close association with olives under a range of environmental/agronomic conditions. These microorganisms could be ideal targets for the design of microbial consortia that can be applied by endotherapy treatments to prevent or control diseases caused by vascular pathogens or modify the physiology and growth of olive trees. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Microbe Interactions 2022)

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18 pages, 1345 KiB

Open AccessReview

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a Reference Organism to Study Algal–Microbial Interactions: Why Can’t They Be Friends?

by Victoria Calatrava, Manuel Tejada-Jimenez, Emanuel Sanz-Luque, Emilio Fernandez, Aurora Galvan and Angel Llamas

Plants 2023, 12(4), 788; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12040788 - 9 Feb 2023

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 6775

Abstract

The stability and harmony of ecological niches rely on intricate interactions between their members. During evolution, organisms have developed the ability to thrive in different environments, taking advantage of each other. Among these organisms, microalgae are a highly diverse and widely distributed group [...] Read more.

The stability and harmony of ecological niches rely on intricate interactions between their members. During evolution, organisms have developed the ability to thrive in different environments, taking advantage of each other. Among these organisms, microalgae are a highly diverse and widely distributed group of major primary producers whose interactions with other organisms play essential roles in their habitats. Understanding the basis of these interactions is crucial to control and exploit these communities for ecological and biotechnological applications. The green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a well-established model, is emerging as a model organism for studying a wide variety of microbial interactions with ecological and economic significance. In this review, we unite and discuss current knowledge that points to C. reinhardtii as a model organism for studying microbial interactions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Microbe Interactions 2022)

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13 pages, 722 KiB

Open AccessReview

Microbial Intervention: An Approach to Combat the Postharvest Pathogens of Fruits

by Sargam Verma, Lucas Carvalho Basilio Azevedo, Jyoti Pandey, Saksham Khusharia, Madhuree Kumari, Dharmendra Kumar, Kaushalendra, Nikunj Bhardwaj, Pratibha Teotia and Ajay Kumar

Plants 2022, 11(24), 3452; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11243452 - 9 Dec 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2554

Abstract

Plants host diverse microbial communities, which undergo a complex interaction with each other. Plant-associated microbial communities provide various benefits to the host directly or indirectly, viz. nutrient acquisition, protection from pathogen invaders, mitigation from different biotic and abiotic stress. Presently, plant-associated microbial strains [...] Read more.

Plants host diverse microbial communities, which undergo a complex interaction with each other. Plant-associated microbial communities provide various benefits to the host directly or indirectly, viz. nutrient acquisition, protection from pathogen invaders, mitigation from different biotic and abiotic stress. Presently, plant-associated microbial strains are frequently utilized as biofertilizers, biostimulants and biocontrol agents in greenhouse and field conditions and have shown satisfactory results. Nowadays, the plant/fruit microbiome has been employed to control postharvest pathogens and postharvest decay, and to maintain the quality or shelf life of fruits. In this context, the intervention of the natural fruit microbiome or the creation of synthetic microbial communities to modulate the functional attributes of the natural microbiome is an emerging aspect. In this regard, we discuss the community behavior of microbes in natural conditions and how the microbiome intervention plays a crucial role in the postharvest management of fruits. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Microbe Interactions 2022)

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13 pages, 5128 KiB

Open AccessReview

Plant-Endophyte Interaction during Biotic Stress Management

by Parul Pathak, Vineet Kumar Rai, Hasan Can, Sandeep Kumar Singh, Dharmendra Kumar, Nikunj Bhardwaj, Rajib Roychowdhury, Lucas Carvalho Basilio de Azevedo, Kaushalendra, Hariom Verma and Ajay Kumar

Plants 2022, 11(17), 2203; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11172203 - 25 Aug 2022

Cited by 47 | Viewed by 5833

Abstract

Plants interact with diverse microbial communities and share complex relationships with each other. The intimate association between microbes and their host mutually benefit each other and provide stability against various biotic and abiotic stresses to plants. Endophytes are heterogeneous groups of microbes that [...] Read more.

Plants interact with diverse microbial communities and share complex relationships with each other. The intimate association between microbes and their host mutually benefit each other and provide stability against various biotic and abiotic stresses to plants. Endophytes are heterogeneous groups of microbes that live inside the host tissue without showing any apparent sign of infection. However, their functional attributes such as nutrient acquisition, phytohormone modulation, synthesis of bioactive compounds, and antioxidant enzymes of endophytes are similar to the other rhizospheric microorganisms. Nevertheless, their higher colonization efficacy and stability against abiotic stress make them superior to other microorganisms. In recent studies, the potential role of endophytes in bioprospecting has been broadly reported. However, the molecular aspect of host–endophyte interactions is still unclear. In this study, we have briefly discussed the endophyte biology, colonization efficacy and diversity pattern of endophytes. In addition, it also summarizes the molecular aspect of plant–endophyte interaction in biotic stress management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Microbe Interactions 2022)

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