ISSN: 2471-9315
Penistacia Mehabo Maela and Mahloro Hope Serepa-Dlamini*
Plants are associated with a variation of diverse microorganisms, which occur as either endophytes or epiphytes.
Endophytes are found within the plant while epiphytes are attached to the plant surface. Endophytic bacteria use
various mechanisms such as chemotaxis and quorum sensing to colonize plants. The study of microbial communities
has been revolutionized by the application of post genomic studies such as metagenomics, metaproteomics and
metatranscriptomics, which have allowed scientists to analyse endophytes directly from the plant internal
environment in-situ. This review aims to address the potential of bacterial endophytes and the application of post
genomic techniques such as metagenomics, metatranscriptomics and metaproteomics to better understand and
identify novel genes which could contribute to understanding the important roles that microbial communities play in
plant growth and in the improvement of crop yield.