Plants interact with diverse microbial communities and share complex relationships with each other. The intimate association between microbes and their host mutually benefit each other and provide stability against various biotic and abiotic stresses to plants. Endophytes are heterogeneous groups of microbes that live inside the host tissue without showing any apparent sign of infection. However, their functional attributes such as nutrient acquisition, phytohormone modulation, synthesis of bioactive compounds, and antioxidant enzymes of endophytes are similar to the other rhizospheric microorganisms. Nevertheless, their higher colonization efficacy and stability against abiotic stress make them superior to other microorganisms. In recent studies, the potential role of endophytes in bioprospecting has been broadly reported. However, the molecular aspect of host-endophyte interactions is still unclear. In this study, we have briefly discussed the endophyte biology, colonization efficacy and diversity pattern of endophytes. In addition, it also summarizes the molecular aspect of plant-endophyte interaction in biotic stress management.
Keywords: biotic stress management; endophyte; molecular aspect of colonization; plant-microbe interaction.