Role of Endophytic Fungus Piriformospora indica in Nutrient Acquisition and Plant Health

Piriformospora indica is a unique endophytic fungus belongs to sebacinales order of Basidiomycetes. This endophytic fungus colonized roots of many plant species including model plants like Arabidopsis thaliana, Hordeum vulgare (barley), and various monocots and dicots. P. indica has a beneficial impact on plant growth promotion. Interestingly, symbiotic relationship of P. indica does not depend on host specificity and thus it can form symbiotic associations with wide variety of terrestrial plants. Colonization of P. indica improves crop productivity and enhances the tolerance of host plants against different biotic (root pathogens) and abiotic (drought, salinity, cold, high temperature) stresses. The positive interactions of P. indica with different model plants are used to explore the molecular mechanism of plant–microbe interactions. Furthermore, P. indica also has a significant role in nutrient uptake and transport. In this chapter, we discussed the possible beneficial role of P. indica in difference aspects of plant growth.