About this Research Topic
The continuous exchange of multiple signals between bacteria and host during the establishment of mutualistic or pathogenic interactions need to be integrated to coordinate expression of essential determinants, both in time and space, and upon changes in the environmental conditions. This allows colonization, settlement and eventually invasion of the host by the bacteria. Different bacterial molecules, known as second messengers, link the sensing of specific environmental cues to appropriate cellular responses. Cyclic mono- (cAMP, cGMP) and di-nucleotides (c-di-GMP, c-di-AMP and c-AMP-GMP), as well as linear nucleotides (ppGpp, pppGpp) have been described as important bacterial Nucleotide Second Messengers (NSM), regulating a multitude of processes including motility, cell division, substrate utilization, virulence factor production or biofilm formation. These signaling molecules form complex regulatory networks and orchestrate fine-tuning of all these bacterial traits playing a key role, especially in the switch between different bacteria lifestyles.
There are numerous research groups worldwide involved in the study of these molecules in bacteria. However, much of the knowledge on NSM regulation has been acquired from the study of bacteria interacting with animal hosts, resulting in a scarcity of knowledge in bacteria that associate with plants, either mutualistic or pathogenic. Despite this, lately the pace of publication is accelerating with new studies emphasizing the importance of NSM economy for plant-interacting bacteria. Given the commonalities between animal- and plant-bacteria interactions, together with their high economic relevance (of both beneficial and phytopathogenic), an increment on reports describing novel processes regulated by NSM during plant-bacteria associations are expected.
The aim of this Research Topic is to collect studies focusing on the roles of NSM signaling in plant microbe interactions, either mutualistic or pathogenic. We particularly welcome manuscripts on the following subjects:
- NSM regulation of rhizosphere, phyllosphere and spermosphere bacterial biofilms
- Role of NSM in rhizobial infection, nodulation and nitrogen fixation
- Role of NSM in bacterial endophyte-plant interactions
- NSM signaling in plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR)
- NSM regulation in bacterial phytopathogens
- Secretion systems and effector proteins of phytopathogenic and beneficial bacteria regulated by NSM
- Molecular identification of novel genes, pathways, and NSM receptors in plant-bacteria systems
- NSM regulated microbial bacterial exopolysaccharides (EPS) important for the interaction with the plant host
- NSM regulated motility in plant-interacting bacteria
- Traits regulated by NSM for the survival of plant-interacting bacteria outside their hosts
There are numerous research groups worldwide involved in the study of these molecules in bacteria. However, much of the knowledge on NSM regulation has been acquired from the study of bacteria interacting with animal hosts, resulting in a scarcity of knowledge in bacteria that associate with plants, either mutualistic or pathogenic. Despite this, lately the pace of publication is accelerating with new studies emphasizing the importance of NSM economy for plant-interacting bacteria. Given the commonalities between animal- and plant-bacteria interactions, together with their high economic relevance (of both beneficial and phytopathogenic), an increment on reports describing novel processes regulated by NSM during plant-bacteria associations are expected.
The aim of this Research Topic is to collect studies focusing on the roles of NSM signaling in plant microbe interactions, either mutualistic or pathogenic. We particularly welcome manuscripts on the following subjects:
- NSM regulation of rhizosphere, phyllosphere and spermosphere bacterial biofilms
- Role of NSM in rhizobial infection, nodulation and nitrogen fixation
- Role of NSM in bacterial endophyte-plant interactions
- NSM signaling in plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR)
- NSM regulation in bacterial phytopathogens
- Secretion systems and effector proteins of phytopathogenic and beneficial bacteria regulated by NSM
- Molecular identification of novel genes, pathways, and NSM receptors in plant-bacteria systems
- NSM regulated microbial bacterial exopolysaccharides (EPS) important for the interaction with the plant host
- NSM regulated motility in plant-interacting bacteria
- Traits regulated by NSM for the survival of plant-interacting bacteria outside their hosts
Keywords: c-di-GMP, Virulence, Biofilm, Motility, Plant Colonization
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
