TY - JOUR AU - Gill, Sarvajeet S. AU - Gill, Ritu AU - Trivedi, Dipesh K. AU - Anjum, Naser A. AU - Sharma, Krishna K. AU - Ansari, Mohammed W. AU - Ansari, Abid A. AU - Johri, Atul K. AU - Prasad, Ram AU - Pereira, Eduarda AU - Varma, Ajit AU - Tuteja, Narendra PY - 2016 M3 - Review TI - Piriformospora indica: Potential and Significance in Plant Stress Tolerance JO - Frontiers in Microbiology UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2016.00332 VL - 7 SN - 1664-302X N2 - 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. ER -