Exploring Fungal Communication Mechanisms in the Rhizosphere Microbiome for a Sustainable Green Agriculture

Author: mycolabadmin
10/9/2025
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Summary

Fungi in soil communicate with each other and plants through chemical signals, forming protective layers called biofilms that help them cooperate and survive. These fungal communication networks can be either beneficial, helping plants grow and fight diseases, or harmful, causing crop infections and producing toxins. By better understanding how fungi talk to each other, scientists can develop natural ways to improve agriculture and clean up polluted soils without using harmful chemicals.

Background

The rhizosphere microbiome, comprising diverse microorganisms including fungi, plays a critical role in plant health and soil ecosystem functioning. Fungal communication through diffusible signaling molecules and biofilms is essential for maintaining ecological balance, yet these mechanisms remain inadequately understood. Understanding these processes is crucial for advancing sustainable agricultural practices and managing both pathogenic and beneficial fungal interactions.

Objective

This review synthesizes current knowledge on fungal communication mechanisms within the rhizosphere microbiome, focusing on quorum sensing, diffusible signaling molecules, and biofilm formation. The paper aims to elucidate how fungi regulate intra- and interspecific interactions and to propose mechanisms for harnessing these processes for sustainable green agriculture and environmental remediation.

Results

The review identifies three main fungal communication mechanisms: the hyphosphere network that facilitates nutrient distribution and signal transmission, diffusible signaling molecules including quorum-sensing molecules that coordinate microbial behavior, and biofilms that enhance cooperation and virulence mechanisms. Fungi exhibit diverse roles as symbionts, saprotrophs, regulators, and pathogens, with communication playing a crucial role in determining their ecological functions.

Conclusion

Fungal communication mechanisms in the rhizosphere represent significant opportunities for developing sustainable agricultural practices through biological control, growth promotion, and environmental remediation. However, challenges including unstable gene expression, environmental variability, and incomplete understanding of regulatory mechanisms require further research using multi-omics approaches and synthetic biology to optimize artificial manipulation of rhizosphere microbiomes.

Published in:Journal of Fungi (Basel),
Study Type:Review,
Source: 41149915