Rice seedling blight is a plant disease caused by the fungus Rhizopus microsporu

Question

Rice seedling blight is a plant disease caused by the fungus Rhizopus microsporus that harbors intracellular bacteria in the genus Burkholderia. Interestingly, a toxin produced by the Burkholderia bacteria kills the seeds; the fungus then consumes the poisoned seeds. In the laboratory R. microsporus and the Burkholderia bacteria can be grown in pure culture. Which of the following pairs of words best describe this microbial symbiosis?

A) Ectosymbiont; Commensalism

B) Endosymbiont; Mutualism

C) Endosymbiont; Commensalism

D) Endosymbiont; Cooperation

Explanation / Answer

The answer is D.

As the bacteria lives inside the fungus, it is an endosymbiont.

As the two are of very different species, the type of relation here would be mutualism where they work together for a common goal.

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