The role of natural products in plant-microbe interactions

Abstract

Plants during their life cycles interact with a large diversity of microbial species. To simultaneously manage symbiotic, competitive and pathogenic interactions, plants rely on their chemical compounds which are capable to recognize, coordinate and regulate the exchange of resources and information with the myriads of potentially interacting microbes. This chapter deals with plant-microbe interactions mediated by natural products and focuses on their role, chemical nature and ecological significance. Particular attention is devoted to role of natural compounds in the cross-talk between plants and beneficial microbes like vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, bacteria inducing legume nodulation and plant-growth promoting rhizobacteria. The role of plant natural compounds with antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria, fungi and oomycetes is also reviewed. Finally, we discuss the potential applications of natural products and future directions of studies including the use of new experimental approaches and techniques such as metag-enomics, proteomics, microscopy, isotope labeling and NMR microspectrophotometry.