Communication Among Soil Bacteria and Fungi

Abstract

Bacteria and fungi are two phylogenetically distinct groups of microorganisms. Both of them play essential role in the recycling of nutrients in the ecosystem as decomposers of dead organic materials. They often share the same ecological niche like soil where they live in close proximity to each other. In this environment, microbes are exposed to many signaling molecules produced by others, they perceive, interpret these chemical signals, and change their gene expression, consequently their behaviour as a response. This issue deals with the possible communication strategies between bacteria and fungi causing antagonistic or symbiotic interactions among them. Quorum sensing signals originally described as form of communication between microbiological communities are not the subject of this issue; however, increasing number of results evidence that they can serve as cross-kingdom signals as well (Hughes and Sperandio, Nat Rev Microbiol 6:111–120, 2008).