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Plants live in association with diverse microbial consortia. These microbes, referred to as the plant's microbiota, live both inside (the endosphere) and outside (the episphere) of plant tissues, and play important roles in the ecology and physiology of plants. [5] "The core plant microbiome is thought to comprise keystone microbial taxa that ...
Microbiota are the range of microorganisms that may be commensal, mutualistic, or pathogenic found in and on all multicellular organisms, including plants. Microbiota include bacteria , archaea , protists , fungi , and viruses , [ 2 ] [ 3 ] and have been found to be crucial for immunologic, hormonal, and metabolic homeostasis of their host.
The root microbiome (also called rhizosphere microbiome) is the dynamic community of microorganisms associated with plant roots. [1] Because they are rich in a variety of carbon compounds, plant roots provide unique environments for a diverse assemblage of soil microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and archaea.
Microbes can make nutrients and minerals in the soil available to plants, produce hormones that spur growth, stimulate the plant immune system and trigger or dampen stress responses. In general a more diverse set of soil microbes results in fewer plant diseases and higher yield.
Microbes, especially bacteria, often engage in symbiotic relationships (either positive or negative) with other microorganisms or larger organisms. [44] Plants and animals happen to be the habitat of microorganism that are involved in mutualistic relationship. [ 45 ]
Most bacteria associated with plants are saprotrophic and do no harm to the plant itself. However, a small number, around 100 known species, cause disease, especially in subtropical and tropical regions of the world. [15] [page needed] Most plant pathogenic bacteria are bacilli. Erwinia uses cell wall–degrading enzymes to cause soft rot.
These bacteria are responsible for nitrogen fixation. The amount of autotrophic bacteria is small compared to heterotrophic bacteria (the opposite of autotrophic bacteria, heterotrophic bacteria acquire energy by consuming plants or other microorganisms), but are very important because almost every plant and organism requires nitrogen in some way.
Plants have evolved R genes (resistance genes) whose products mediate resistance to specific virus, bacteria, oomycete, fungus, nematode or insect strains. R gene products are proteins that allow recognition of specific pathogen effectors, either through direct binding or by recognition of the effector's alteration of a host protein. [ 6 ]