title: Piriformospora indica: Potential and Significance in Plant Stress Tolerance.
abstract: Owing to its exceptional ability to efficiently promote plant growth, protection and stress tolerance, a mycorrhiza like endophytic Agaricomycetes fungus Piriformospora indica has received a great attention over the last few decades. P. indica is an axenically cultiviable fungus which exhibits its versatility for colonizing/hosting a broad range of plant species through directly manipulating plant hormone-signaling pathway during the course of mutualism. P. indica-root colonization leads to a better plant performance in all respect, including enhanced root proliferation by indole-3-acetic acid production which in turn results into better nutrient-acquisition and subsequently to improved crop growth and productivity. Additionally, P. indica can induce both local and systemic resistance to fungal and viral plant diseases through signal transduction. P. indica-mediated stimulation in antioxidant defense system components and expressing stress-related genes can confer crop/plant stress tolerance. Therefore, P. indica can biotize micropropagated plantlets and also help these plants to overcome transplantation shock. Nevertheless, it can also be involved in a more complex symbiotic relationship, such as tripartite symbiosis and can enhance population dynamic of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria. In brief, P. indica can be utilized as a plant promoter, bio-fertilizer, bioprotector, bioregulator, and biotization agent. The outcome of the recent literature appraised herein will help us to understand the physiological and molecular bases of mechanisms underlying P. indica-crop plant mutual relationship. Together, the discussion will be functional to comprehend the usefulness of crop plant-P. indica association in both achieving new insights into crop protection/improvement as well as in sustainable agriculture production.
authors.affiliation: Stress Physiology and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Centre for Biotechnology, Maharshi Dayanand University Rohtak, India.
authors.forename: Sarvajeet S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.affiliation: Stress Physiology and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Centre for Biotechnology, Maharshi Dayanand University Rohtak, India.
authors.forename: Ritu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.affiliation: Plant Molecular Biology Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Dipesh K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Trivedi
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Naser A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Anjum
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Maharshi Dayanand University Rohtak, India.
authors.forename: Krishna K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Plant Molecular Biology Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Mohammed W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Ansari
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Tabuk Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Abid A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Ansari
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Atul K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Johri
authors.affiliation: Amity Institute of Microbial Technology, Amity University Noida, India.
authors.forename: Ram
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Prasad
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Eduarda
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Amity Institute of Microbial Technology, Amity University Noida, India.
authors.forename: Ajit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Varma
authors.affiliation: Amity Institute of Microbial Technology, Amity University Noida, India.
authors.forename: Narendra
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tuteja
keywords: Ca2+ signaling; Piriformospora indica; colonization potential; crop improvement; plant stress tolerance