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Review
. 2023 Oct;86(3):1455-1486.
doi: 10.1007/s00248-023-02190-1. Epub 2023 Mar 14.

Current Scenario and Future Prospects of Endophytic Microbes: Promising Candidates for Abiotic and Biotic Stress Management for Agricultural and Environmental Sustainability

Uttpal Anand  1 , Tarun Pal  2 , Niraj Yadav  3 , Vipin Kumar Singh  4 , Vijay Tripathi  5 , Krishna Kumar Choudhary  6 , Awadhesh Kumar Shukla  4 , Kumari Sunita  7 , Ajay Kumar  8 , Elza Bontempi  9 , Ying Ma  10 , Max Kolton  3 , Amit Kishore Singh  11
Affiliations
Review

Current Scenario and Future Prospects of Endophytic Microbes: Promising Candidates for Abiotic and Biotic Stress Management for Agricultural and Environmental Sustainability

Uttpal Anand et al. Microb Ecol. 2023 Oct.

Abstract

Globally, substantial research into endophytic microbes is being conducted to increase agricultural and environmental sustainability. Endophytic microbes such as bacteria, actinomycetes, and fungi inhabit ubiquitously within the tissues of all plant species without causing any harm or disease. Endophytes form symbiotic relationships with diverse plant species and can regulate numerous host functions, including resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses, growth and development, and stimulating immune systems. Moreover, plant endophytes play a dominant role in nutrient cycling, biodegradation, and bioremediation, and are widely used in many industries. Endophytes have a stronger predisposition for enhancing mineral and metal solubility by cells through the secretion of organic acids with low molecular weight and metal-specific ligands (such as siderophores) that alter soil pH and boost binding activity. Finally, endophytes synthesize various bioactive compounds with high competence that are promising candidates for new drugs, antibiotics, and medicines. Bioprospecting of endophytic novel secondary metabolites has given momentum to sustainable agriculture for combating environmental stresses. Biotechnological interventions with the aid of endophytes played a pivotal role in crop improvement to mitigate biotic and abiotic stress conditions like drought, salinity, xenobiotic compounds, and heavy metals. Identification of putative genes from endophytes conferring resistance and tolerance to crop diseases, apart from those involved in the accumulation and degradation of contaminants, could open new avenues in agricultural research and development. Furthermore, a detailed molecular and biochemical understanding of endophyte entry and colonization strategy in the host would better help in manipulating crop productivity under changing climatic conditions. Therefore, the present review highlights current research trends based on the SCOPUS database, potential biotechnological interventions of endophytic microorganisms in combating environmental stresses influencing crop productivity, future opportunities of endophytes in improving plant stress tolerance, and their contribution to sustainable remediation of hazardous environmental contaminants.

Keywords: Bioaccumulation; Bioactive secondary metabolites; Biocontrol; Biotic and abiotic stress; Endophytes; Phytoremediation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Overview of the plant–microbe interactions at phyllospheric and rhizospheric zone: endophytic microbes and rhizospheric microbes are capable to induce growth of the plants directly by increasing macronutrient and mineral uptake or indirectly through plant protection against pathogens. Naturally synthesized bioactive compounds with antimicrobial activities can be exploited in various sectors, especially in the agricultural and medicinal sectors
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Categorization of endophytic bacteria based on their lifestyle. Opportunistic endophytes: they are bacteria which occasionally enter plants for their own needs. Passenger endophytes: they are bacteria which enter the plant by chance. Obligate endophytes: they are bacteria which are strictly bound to life inside a plant. Facultative endophytes: they are bacteria which can live inside plants and in other habitats also
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
The keywords co-occurrence network, obtained from the articles extracted by SCOPUS, selecting two keywords: “endophytic” (or "endophyte") and “stress,” in the titles, abstracts, and keywords fields of all available literature. The review was specifically addressed to the publications of the last 10 years (from 2012 until December 3, 2022). The map highlights the most frequently used bibliographic terms to understand the most active research fields that are grouped into 5 clusters. Data analysis was performed by “VOSviewer version 1.6.16,” 2020
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Entry and colonization of endophytic microorganisms in host plants. The successful colonization of the host plant by endophytes is a crucial component of advantageous plant–microbe interactions. Entry and colonization of endophytes into the host plant include several events that occur within the host plant, including endophytic population entrance, motility, transmission, and multiplication
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
An overview of plant response to abiotic stress (left): prolonged abiotic stress (drought, salinity, and heavy metals) causes regeneration of ROS, desiccation, cellular dehydration, hormonal imbalance etc. that limit plant growth and productivity. Endophytic mediated abiotic stress tolerance mechanism (right): under abiotic conditions, endophytes trigger the production of osmolytes (proline, glycine betaine, etc.), secretion of phytohormones (IAA, cytokinins, GAs), and induce gene expressions for plant defense
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
An overview of plant response to biotic stress (left): pathogen infection causes photosystem damage, ROS regeneration, and impaired cell division that lead to reduced plant growth and development. Endophytic mediated biotic stress tolerance mechanism (right): endophytes trigger defense mechanisms directly by the production of antimicrobial compounds and indirectly through the production of lytic enzymes, activation of systemic defense responses involving jasmonic acid (JA), oligogalacturonoids (OGAs), and salicylic acid (SA) signaling pathways
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Biological activities of importance to humans present in endophytes’ metabolites. Endophytes have been reported to have the ability to produce novel metabolites which can serve as anticancer agents, glucosidase inhibitors (antidiabetic), and immunosuppressive agents; some of these endophytes also show antioxidant, antituberculosis, anti-inflammatory, and antimalarial activity, and serve as inhibitors of viruses
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