Molecular Communication between Plants and Plant Growth Promoting Microorganisms for Stress Tolerance

Dear Colleagues,

Plant growth-promoting microorganisms are beneficial microbes that reside in the rhizosphere and roots of plants and direct their developmental process and induce systemic resistance. Plants select beneficial bacteria and help in their colonization through the secretion of root exudates. There is a complex interkingdom signalling between the host and microbes for mutual interaction, which is also influenced by environmental factors. An exchange of chemical signals started between microbes and plants to establish a positive or inhibitory interaction. Molecular communication was built up by encompassing chemical signals from microbes to microbes, plants to microbes or microbes to plants which results in cellular response and altered gene expression. Microorganisms are also known for their role in altering the metabolomics expression of host plants and inducing their systematic resistance by increasing the expression of stress-responsive secondary metabolites. Root exudates contain low molecular weight primary metabolites, such as carbohydrates, amino acids, organic acids, and high molecular weight secondary metabolites, e.g. alkaloids, terpenoids, phenolics, mucilage, proteins and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Many compounds of root exudates act as general chemoattractants, able to attract beneficial microbes and repel pathogens. Plant growth-promoting microorganisms can enhance the tolerance of crops to various environmental stresses by improving the level of cellular metabolites, which suggests a novel role of microorganisms to interact with the plant metabolome, as well as to influence the plant microbiome. The above-mentioned examples of signaling molecules, along with thousands of others, mediate a complex network of signaling in the rhizosphere that helps plants to flourish well and withstand stressful environments. Therefore, this Special Issue aims to collect research papers and reviews that promote this aspect of plant growth-promoting microorganisms.

Dr. Naeem Khan
Guest Editor

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