The ecological role of microsymbionts in the interaction of plants and herbivorous insects

Abstract

A lot of evidence on the involvement of microsymbionts in the adaptation of hosts to adverse environmental impacts of both abiotic and biotic natures has recently been collected. In particular, microorganisms living in plants are involved in the development of induced systemic resistance to pathogens and pests, which allows them to be regarded as a reserve for the design of ecologically safe plant defense tools. However, the endosymbionts of herbivores are also putatively involved in both the adaptation of a macrosymbiont to the environment and the effect on host plant immune system in order to reduce the efficiency of defense responses. The obtained data show that the understanding of the mechanisms underlying the interaction of plants and pathogens or pests is incomplete without knowledge about the role of “hidden players,” microsymbionts that are present in both parties.