Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi - a natural tool to impart abiotic stress tolerance in plants.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are crucial components of the soil microbiomes that establish symbiotic associations with most terrestrial plants. The review summarizes the basic mechanisms behind the plant-AMF symbiosis, the genes involved in the fungal and their plant counterparts, novel biomolecules and growth regulators, leading to probable signal transduction pathways. It also focuses on the involvement of lipids and strigolactones in establishing AMF-plant symbiosis. Herein, we further emphasize the role played by these AMF in enhancing plant resistance to various abiotic stresses while giving a broad outline of current research practices and attempting to dissect the mechanism behind the AMF-mediated abiotic stress signal transduction. Discussion on the mechanisms behind this stress reduction involving AMF will be valuable for the researchers, agronomists, and environmentalists involved in sustainable agriculture. Water scarcity, salinity, heavy metals, and extreme temperatures are the primary abiotic stresses that pose serious challenges to agricultural sustainability and ecosystem functioning. Conventional responses to such pressures typically rely on genetic modifications as well as chemical treatments, which could be expensive and detrimental to the environment. However, these AM fungi act in an alternative way that is natural and cost-effective too, leading to healthy plants with resilience toward stress through symbiosis, leading to the fulfillment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (UNSDG) 2 of zero hunger.