ABSTRACT
Plants are susceptible to a wide variety of microorganisms in natural ecosystems, interacting with them in intricate ways. Plant–fungal interactions have been extensively investigated to understand plant defense systems. Plants and fungi communicate in various ways, with each connection resulting in notable changes in both partners. Fungal diseases disrupt the physiology of the host plant, while mutualistic fungi increase plant nutrient uptake and strengthen plant tolerance to fungal pathogens. Fungus tropic growth to plant roots has been recorded, with evidence of species-specific signals and sophisticated sensors. Currently, considerable progress has been seen in fungal molecular biology and genomics sciences, opening up new avenues for detecting essential molecular pathways in plant–fungal relationships and strength of such pathways, frequently demonstrated by their interaction. To comprehend the possibilities of fungus in avoiding plant infections, enhancing plant production, and ensuring ecological stability, we need to fill gaps in our current knowledge of plant–fungi interactions. Surprisingly, several signals activating immune responses in plants are molecularly identical, if not similar, in beneficial and pathogenic fungi. As a result, it is unknown what variables influence the success of a specific fungal–host plant interaction and for which characteristics plants permit to differentiate beneficial fungi from pathogenic. Extensive analytical systems and biology techniques will be required to untangle the integrated framework of microbial, genetic, and metabolic relationships, such as signaling processes driving fungal–plant host interactions.
