Molecular Insights into the Mutualistic Association between the Hornwort Plant Host $Anthoceros Agrestis$ and its Symbiont $Nostoc Punctiforme$

Abstract

Like human bodies, plants are surrounded by a highly diverse microbiome. The significance of the plant microbiome should also not be underestimated because of its considerable impact on plant life. The number of microbes associated with the plant often surpasses the number of plant cells and while some of them are harmful, many microbes are beneficial to their host plant. Beneficial microbes hold the potential to increase the plant’s resistance to drought and pathogens as well as to provide essential nutrients. Ultimately, this leads Show more