Symbiosis of Plants with Mycorrhizal and Endophytic Fungi

Dear Colleagues,

There is a great variety of fungi (arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, dark septate fungi (DSE), and other endophytes) that coexist in the roots of vascular plants and present a wide range of symbiotic interactions. Among its many functions, they make the uptake of nutrients by plants from organic and inorganic sources more efficient, producing extracellular enzymes, secreting organic acids, phytosiderophores, etc. Additionally, they produce precursors of plant hormones. They facilitate the absorption of water and reduce the effect of pollutants on plants. Fungi not only tolerate but degrade hydrocarbons, agrochemicals, and other organic pollutants, using them as a carbon source, in addition to their ability to produce biosurfactants. It is also known that these fungi usually increase the resistance of crops to phytopathogens. The gradual increase in our knowledge about these symbiotic processes expands the potential application of these natural mechanisms in agriculture and the environment. In this way, we wish to contribute to more sustainable systems in order to overcome the crises that exist in the current state of our civilization. This Special Issue of Plants will highlight the advances made in our knowledge of the role played by different types of fungi associated with plants under different environmental conditions, showing recent developments and future trends in this topic.