Plant symbioses with fungal endophytes: perspectives on conservation and sustainable exploitation of Mediterranean ecosystems

Conservation and sustainable exploitation of plant genetic rsources: International developments

Plant Genetic Resources (PGRs) are one of the most valuable natural resources of anycountry. Biotechnology through genetic engineering of plants and the creation of new plantvarieties can increase the value of these resources. Different technical and legalmechanisms such as ex situ/in situ collection of PGRs, and Intellectual Property Rights(IPRs...

Exploitation of endophytes for sustainable agricultural intensification

Intensive agriculture, which depends on unsustainable levels of agrochemical inputs, is environmentally harmful, and the expansion of these practices to meet future needs is not economically feasible. Other options should be considered to meet the global food security challenge. The plant microbiome has been linked to improved plant productivity and, in this microreview, we consider the endosph...

Rational Exploitation and Conservation of Marine Ecosystems

Nutrient transfer in plant-fungal symbioses.

Almost all plant species form symbioses with soil fungi, and nutrient transfer to plants is largely mediated through this partnership. Studies of fungal nutrient transfer to plants have largely focused on the transfer of limiting soil nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorous, by mycorrhizal fungi. However, certain fungal endophytes, such as Metarhizium and Beauveria, are also able to transfe...

Continuum of root-fungal symbioses for plant nutrition.

Plants accommodate a specific microbiota on and in their roots that, similar to the microbial communities in human or animal guts, supports the host in nutrient acquisition (1). Beneficial associations with fungi are widespread in the plant kingdom and probably best known are so-called mycorrhizal symbioses (Fig. 1), which are formed between soil fungi and ∼90% of land plants (2). In these part...