Research Article
Penistacia Mehabo Maela and Ma
Abstract
Plants are associated with a variation of diverse microorganisms, which occur as either endophytes or epiphytes. Endophytes are found within the plant while epiphytes are attached to the plant surface. Endophytic bacteria use various mechanisms such as chemotaxis and quorum sensing to colonize plants. The study of microbial communities has been revolutionized by the application of post genomic studies such as metagenomics, metaproteomics and metatranscriptomics, which have allowed scientists to analyse endophytes directly from the plant internal environment in-situ. This review aims to address the potential of bacterial endophytes and the application of post genomic techniques such as metagenomics, metatranscriptomics and metaproteomics to better understand and identify novel genes which could contribute to understanding the important roles that microbial communities play in plant growth and in the improvement of crop yield.