Seed Endophytes

This book focuses on the importance and roles of seed microbiomes in sustainable agriculture by exploring the diversity of microbes vectored on and within seeds of both cultivated and non-cultivated plants. It provides essential insights into how seeds can be adapted to enhance microbiome vectoring, how damaged seed microbiomes can be assembled again and how seed microbiomes can be conserved. Plant seeds carry not only embryos and nutrients to fuel early seedling growth, but also microbes that modulate development, soil nutrient acquisition, and defense against pathogens and other stressors. Many of these microbes (bacteria and fungi) become endophytic, entering into the tissues of plants, and typically exist within plants without inducing negative effects. Although they have been reported in all plants examined to date, the extent to which plants rely on seed vectored microbiomes to enhance seedling competitiveness and survival is largely unappreciated. How microbes function to increase the fitness of seedlings is also little understood. The book is a unique and important resource for researchers and students in microbial ecology and biotechnology. Further, it appeals to applied academic and industrial agriculturists interested in increasing crop health and yield.

This book focuses on the importance and roles of seed microbiomes in sustainable agriculture by exploring the diversity of microbes vectored on and within seeds of both cultivated and non-cultivated plants. It provides essential insights into how seeds can be adapted to enhance microbiome vectoring, how damaged seed microbiomes can be assembled again and how seed microbiomes can be conserved. Plant seeds carry not only embryos and nutrients to fuel early seedling growth, but also microbes that modulate development, soil nutrient acquisition, and defense against pathogens and other stressors. Many of these microbes (bacteria and fungi) become endophytic, entering into the tissues of plants, and typically exist within plants without inducing negative effects. Although they have been reported in all plants examined to date, the extent to which plants rely on seed vectored microbiomes to enhance seedling competitiveness and survival is largely unappreciated. How microbes function to increase the fitness of seedlings is also little understood. The book is a unique and important resource for researchers and students in microbial ecology and biotechnology. Further, it appeals to applied academic and industrial agriculturists interested in increasing crop health and yield.

Discusses the role of endophytes in food security, forestry and health. It outlines their general biology, spanning theory to practice.

Microbial Endophytes: Functional Biology and Applications focuses on endophytic bacteria and fungi, including information on foundational endophytes and the latest advances in relevant genomics, proteomics and nanotechnological aspects. The book provides insights into the molecular aspects of plant endophytes and their interactions and applications, also exploring the potential commercialization of endophytic microorganisms and their use as bio fertilizers, in biocontrol, and as bioactive compounds for other sustainable applications. Coverage of important and emerging legal considerations relevant to those working to implement these important bacteria in production processes is also included. Presents discussion on entry, colonization and the distribution of endophytic microorganisms Explores the phyto immunological functions of endophytic microorganisms Provides genomic insights on plant endophyte interaction Identifies bio-commercial aspects of microbial endophytes for sustainable agriculture, including potential legal issues and IPR in microbial research

Most plants are colonized by endophytes: bacterial and fungal microorganisms, without visible disease symptoms. With state-of-the-art knowledge on their discovery, qualities and roles, this book describes endophyte diversity, their value, exploitation and future challenges. It explains how beneficial endophytes colonize plants, and how they might help mitigate climate change effects, assist pest control and interact with mycorrhizal fungi to boost yield. Endophytes can facilitate the access to nutrients, produce particular metabolites, and change the plant's chemistry, physiology and (defense) responses. Endophyte biosynthetic pathways can, alone or in combination with the plant's, yield novel chemicals, with yet-to-be-discovered pharmacological characteristics as well. The book describes how functional metagenomics can explore and boost yields of useful endophyte products.

Endophytes are the plant symbionts that live inside the plant tissue without causing any symptoms of disease for a part of their life-cycle, as compared to the rhizosphere and phyllosphere microbes that live on the plant’s surface, and pathogens that cause disease. Bacteria and fungi are the two most common groups that are included in endophytes. They find their way into plants’ endosphere to become extremely important plant symbionts that improve metabolite profile, fitness and stress tolerance of the host. Endophytes are an important untapped reservoir of biological resources. During the last few decades, endophytes have attracted scientists working in the field of agriculture, environment and industry due to the possibilities of diverse biotechnological applications in such fields. Endophytes promote plant growth by improving the physiological and metabolic functions of the host plants via nutrient acquisition, nitrogen fixation, phytohormone production, enhancing abiotic/biotic stress tolerance, and disease resistance. These benefits conferred by the endophytes can be used to promote agriculture yield and food quality. In addition endophytes are known to produce novel antibiotics; secondary metabolites including alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids, phenolic acids, quinines; siderophores; and enzymes such as chitinases and cellulases. These natural compounds have use in pharmaceutical, food and agricultural industries. Endophytes have usage in biodegradation, bioextraction or bioaccumulation of environmental pollutants. They also have potential application in enhanced phytoremediation. More recently, endophytic bacteria and fungi have also been used for the green synthesis of nanoparticles for different medical and industrial applications. Functional genomics studies of endophytes provided more information and better understanding of network of the complex host-endophyte interactions and other associated microbes to harness the biotechnological potential of endophytes more efficiently and sustainably.

Plant Endophytes and Secondary Metabolites provides the latest insights into the essential roles of these beneficial elements in plant growth, development, stress tolerance and plant protection from soil-borne disease.The book provides a comprehensive guide, addressing the usefulness and utility of endophytes towards enhancing plant tolerance to abiotic or biotic stress. It identifies biomolecules with unique molecular architectures, novel enzymes of industrial importance and explores the ecology and community structure of endophytes associated with host plants and their potential. Plant Endophytes and Secondary Metabolites provides insights into the endophytic microbiomes that are associated with diverse environments and includes case studies and nano-techniques for exploring endophytic potential.The book addresses the needs of researchers and advanced level students in agriculture, plant sciences, and biochemistry, seeking to underestand plant and soil microbiome sustainable ecosystem services. Covers all characteristic features of endophytes Considers all aspects surrounding the role of endophytes for ameliorating biotic and abiotic stress Explores potential usage of endophytes for industrial applications from variable resources Presents the scope and importance of endophytic nanotechnology

Plants are typically colonized by numerous endophyte species symbiotically without any noticeable disease symptoms. These microbes are abundant, diverse and play critical ecological roles across natural and agricultural ecosystems. Endophytes have attracted the attention of researchers due to their various beneficial effects on plants, especially in agricultural crop species. Genomic tools will enhance our understanding on the growth and nutrition requirements of this host-symbiont relationship. Recent advances in DNA sequencing technologies and bioinformatic pipelines have allowed analyzing the plant microbiome and host-endophyte interaction more effectively with limited bias. Furthermore, various studies have employed and utilized transcriptomic and genomic tools to understand the role of endophytes and their interaction with plant hosts. This electronic book covers various research articles highlighting the important developments on endophytes using transcriptomics, next generation sequencing and genomic tools.