16S Amplicon Sequencing of Endophytic Microbial Communities in Halotolerant Plants from Southern Tunisia.

Endophytes are valuable microbial resources with significant potential for agricultural applications as endophytic biocontrol agents (BCAs) and plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB). They exhibit unique adaptations to their host plant environments and demonstrate the ability to manage both biotic and abiotic stresses. To gain a deeper understanding of endophytic microbiome communities associated with halotolerant plants, a metagenomic approach is employed. These so called plant stress homeostasis-regulating bacteria (PSHB) could have important applications for enhancing crop growth in saline soils.