plant-microbe-symbiosis
Plant-microbe symbiosis refers to the mutually beneficial relationships that form between plants and microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and archaea living in and around plant tissues. These partnerships are fundamental to plant health and productivity, enabling nutrient acquisition, stress tolerance, and defense against pathogens. Understanding the molecular signals and mechanisms that govern these interactions is a central focus of plant biology research, with implications for sustainable agriculture and ecosystem function.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-04-13
A soil fungus naturally found in salt-tolerant coastal plants can be applied to corn seedlings to help them survive salty soils, boosting growth by up to 45% under high-salt conditions by reprogramming the plant's internal chemistry.
Corn seedlings inoculated with the fungus grew 25% heavier, 45% taller, and had 16% longer roots under high-salt stress (250 mM NaCl) compared to untreated salt-stressed plants.
The fungus boosted the potassium-to-sodium ratio in corn shoots and roots by 45% and 68% respectively, directly reducing the toxic buildup of sodium inside plant tissues.
Even without salt stress, the fungus improved corn seedling fresh weight by 13%, plant height by 9%, and root length by 19% by activating plant growth hormone pathways.
