Entry, colonization, and distribution of endophytic microorganisms in plants

Inside plants, microbial communities live as endophytes without causing any disease symptoms or adverse impacts to the host plant. These microbial communities may comprise bacteria, fungi, and archaea. In the last few decades endophytic microbes have been broadly used in sustainable agriculture as biofertilizers, biocontrols, or inducers of abiotic stress tolerance. Successful colonization by endophytes in the host plant is a key factor for beneficial plant microbe interaction that results in various plant growth promoting mechanisms. Colonization includes a series of phenomenon such as attachment, entry, motility, transmission, and multiplication of endophytic populations within the host plant. In this chapter, we will discuss the mechanisms of colonization, the rhizophagy cycle, and genomic insights of endophytic behavior and functions that will aid in the advancement and application of endophytes in various aspects of sustainable agriculture.