There are several known evolutionarily fixed mechanisms of coexistence between prokaryotic or eukaryotic microorganisms and eukaryotic plant or animal partners. The coexistence could be mutually beneficial for each partner when the plant or the animal partner serves as host (obligate or facultative symbiosis; gut or skin microbiome-shaping pathogens) or harmful, (pathogenesis, that is a pathogenic attack from the microorganisms and responded by innate or induced immunity of the respective host).

This research field shows a tremendous expansion in the last decades, and this is probably the last period of time when reviews and overviews about the whole research field could be written to summarize the achievements of the whole field within the frame of an Entry Collection.

We would invite fellow scientists of the unique talent and capability of selectively summarizing the history and the present stage of their respective research topic in plant/bacterium symbioses, (symbiotic and asymbiotic nitrogen fixation; legume/rhizobium symbiosis; pinus obligate association with mycorrhizae); entomopathogenic/ bacterium/ nematode; tripartite mutualism, pathogen mechanisms; resistance mechanisms; antimicrobial peptides and innate immunity; amphibian chytridiomycosis.

keywords: mutualism, coexistence, symbiosis, bacterium & bacteroid; pathogenesis, tolerance, persistence, resistance, probiotics.

Please click here to find Guidelines for Submissions.