Plant-endophyte communication: Scaling from molecular mechanisms to ecological outcomes

ABSTRACT

Diverse communities of fungal endophytes reside in plant tissues, where they affect and are affected by plant physiology and ecology. For these intimate interactions to form and persist, endophytes and their host plants engage in intricate systems of communication. The conversation between fungal endophytes and plant hosts ultimately dictates endophyte community composition and function and has cascading effects on plant health and plant interactions. In this review, we synthesize our current knowledge on the mechanisms and strategies of communication used by endophytic fungi and their plant hosts. We discuss the molecular mechanisms of communication that lead to organ specificity of endophytic communities and distinguish endophytes, pathogens, and saprotrophs. We conclude by offering emerging perspectives on the relevance of plant-endophyte communication to microbial community ecology and plant health and function.

KEYWORDS:

• Community ecology
• effectors
• fungi
• host specificity
• immune response
• interaction

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported, in part, by grant 2217765 from the National Science Foundation to N.C. and by grant 2007449 from the National Science Foundation to M.H.P.