Fungal–Plant Interactions: From Symbiosis to Pathogenesis
A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Protection and Biotic Interactions".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 11
Special Issue Editors
Interests: fungal–plant interactions; yeasts; biofilm; antimicrobials; microbial forensics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: mycology; speleomycology; phytopathology; plant–fungal interactions; antifungal agents; molecular biology; agriculture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Fungal–plant interactions span a continuum from mutualism to disease. Symbiotic fungi, such as mycorrhizae and endophytes, enhance nutrient uptake, stress tolerance, and immunity. In contrast, pathogenic fungi deploy effectors and suppress host defenses to colonize and damage plants. Some fungi exhibit lifestyle plasticity, shifting between symbiosis and pathogenesis depending on environmental and host cues. Advances in omics technologies have deepened our understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving these interactions. Exploring this dynamic relationship is vital for improving crop resilience, managing plant diseases, and leveraging beneficial fungi for sustainable agriculture in changing environments. This Special Issue, title “Fungal–Plant Interactions: From Symbiosis to Pathogenesis”, seeks to advance knowledge of fungal–plant associations through original studies addressing the full spectrum of mutualistic to parasitic dynamics.
Dr. Agata Piecuch
Dr. Rafał Ogórek
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- fungal–plant associations
- symbiosis
- pathogenesis
- mycorrhiza
- endophytes
- plant immunity
- host–pathogen interactions
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