Endophytes: An Insight into Plant’s Hidden Treasure

Abstract

Endophytes are microorganisms colonizing healthy plant tissue without causing any apparent symptoms in the host plant. Bacteria, fungi, actinomycete, virus, archaebacteria and mycoplasma are the common microbes existing as endophytes and found in every plant. Endophytic bacteria have been found in almost each and every plant, where they colonize the internal tissues of their host plant and form a range of mutualistic, symbiotic, commensalistic and trophobiotic relationships. Most endophytes appear to originate from the rhizosphere or phyllosphere; however, some may be transmitted through the seed. Endophytes have the ability to both stimulate plant development and serve as a biocontrol agent. Additionally helpful to their host plant, endophytes can yield a wide range of natural products that may find application in the fields of industry, agriculture, and medicine. Endophytic bacteria have received a lot of attention lately due to their capacity to produce a large variety of novel and intriguing bioactive secondary metabolites that have applications in industry, agriculture, and medicine. Furthermore, by promoting phytoremediation, endophytes can eliminate soil pollutants. They can also significantly improve soil fertility by fixing nitrogen and solubilizing phosphate. There is an increasing interest in developing the potential biotechnological applications of endophytes for improving phytoremediation and the sustainable production of non-food crops for biomass and biofuel production.