Abstract
One of the most exciting scientific advances in recent decades has been the realization that the diverse and immensely active microbial communities are not only ‘passengers’ with plants, but instead play an important role in plant growth, development and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. A picture is emerging where plant roots act as ‘gatekeepers’ to screen soil bacteria from the rhizosphere and rhizoplane. This typically results in root endophytic microbiome dominated by Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and to a lesser extent Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, but Acidobacteria and Gemmatimonadetes being almost depleted. A synthesis of available data suggest that motility, plant cell-wall degradation ability and reactive oxygen species scavenging seem to be crucial traits for successful endophytic colonization and establishment of bacteria. Recent studies provide solid evidence that these bacteria serve host functions such as improving of plant nutrients through acquisition of nutrients from soil and nitrogen fixation in leaves. Additionally, some endophytes can engage ‘priming’ plants which elicit a faster and stronger plant defense once pathogens attack. Due to these plant growth-promoting effects, endophytic bacteria are being widely explored for their use in the improvement of crop performance. Updating the insights into the mechanism of endophytic bacterial colonization and interactions with plants is an important step in potentially manipulating endophytic bacteria/microbiome for viable strategies to improve agricultural production.
Highlights
It has been projected that the world’s population will increase to 9.1 billion by 2050 (FAO, 2009)
Based on the findings in most recent studies on endophytic bacteria, we explore (1) which bacteria live in plant endophytic habitats, (2) how do endosphere bacterial communities respond to plant stresses and environmental stimuli, (3) where exactly do endophytic bacteria colonize plants, (4) what are the traits that enable bacteria to successfully invade and persist into standing heterogeneous communities, (5) how do bacterial endophytes deal with the plant’s immune system, (6) how does the plant host influence endophytic colonization via hormone signaling pathways, and (7) what are the traits of endophytic bacteria that deliver plant phenotypes and may hold promise for use in agriculture
We believe that understanding the interactions between endophytic bacteria and their plant hosts will assist in the design of new strategies for productive and sustainable practices in agriculture
Summary
Received: 20 October 2017 Accepted: 08 December 2017 Published: 19 December 2017. Citation: Liu H, Carvalhais LC, Crawford M, Singh E, Dennis PG, Pieterse CMJ and Schenk PM (2017) Inner Plant. Values: Diversity, Colonization and Benefits from Endophytic Bacteria. A picture is emerging where plant roots act as ‘gatekeepers’ to screen soil bacteria from the rhizosphere and rhizoplane. This typically results in root endophytic microbiome dominated by Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and to a lesser extent Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, but Acidobacteria and Gemmatimonadetes being almost depleted. Some endophytes can engage ‘priming’ plants which elicit a faster and stronger plant defense once pathogens attack. Due to these plant growth-promoting effects, endophytic bacteria are being widely explored for their use in the improvement of crop performance.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.