Microbial plant symbionts are widely spread in nature changing the way their hosts interact with their environment. Neotyphodium fungal endophytes (Clavicipitaceae) are grass symbionts known by their production of alkaloids, ...

Although the role of fungal alkaloids in protecting grasses associated with Epichloë fungal endophytes has been extensively documented, the effects of the symbiont on the host plant's immune responses have received little ...

Within animal-associated microbiomes, the functional roles of specific microbial taxa are often uncharacterized. Here, we use the fungus-growing ant system, a model for microbial symbiosis, to determine the potential ...

When subjected to nutritional stress, bacteria modify their amino acid metabolism and cell division activities by means of the stringent response, which is controlled by the Rsh protein in alphaproteobacteria. An important ...

Rhizobia are soil bacteria that engage into a mutualistic symbiosis with plants and benefit the host by fixing atmospheric N. In addition, rhizobia can be considered as biocontrol agents, contributing to plant health through ...

Plants harbor a wide diversity of microorganisms in their tissues. Some of them have a long co-evolutionary history with their hosts, likely playing a pivotal role in regulating the plant interaction with other microbes ...

Some grasses are co-infected by ‘castrator’ fungal pathogens, such as Ustilago bullata, and beneficial seed-transmitted Epichloë endophytes that compete for plant photosynthates and flowers. Epichloë-infected (E+) and ...

Tropospheric ozone is an abiotic stress of increasing importance in the context of global climate change. This greenhouse gas is a potent phytotoxic molecule with demonstrated negative effects on crop yield and natural ...