Symbiosis between cyanobacteria and plants: from molecular studies to agronomic applications

• Published in: Journal of experimental botany Vol. 74; no. 19; pp. 6145 - 6157
• Main Authors: Álvarez, Consolación, Jiménez-Ríos, Lucía, Iniesta-Pallarés, Macarena, Jurado-Flores, Ana, Molina-Heredia, Fernando P, Ng, Carl K Y, Mariscal, Vicente
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: UK Oxford University Press 13.10.2023
• Subjects: Review Papers; Biofertilizer; heterocyst; PGPR; symbiosis; cyanobacteria; Symbiosis; Nostoc; Heterocyst; Cyanobacteria
• ISSN: 0022-0957; 1460-2431
• DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erad261

Abstract Nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria from the order Nostocales are able to establish symbiotic relationships with diverse plant species. They are promiscuous symbionts, as the same strain of cyanobacterium is able to form symbiotic biological nitrogen-fixing relationships with different plants species. This review will focus on the different types of cyanobacterial–plant associations, both endophytic and epiphytic, and provide insights from a structural viewpoint, as well as our current understanding of the mechanisms involved in the symbiotic crosstalk. In all these symbioses, the benefit for the plant is clear; it obtains from the cyanobacterium fixed nitrogen and other bioactive compounds, such as phytohormones, polysaccharides, siderophores, or vitamins, leading to enhanced plant growth and productivity. Additionally, there is increasing use of different cyanobacterial species as bio-inoculants for biological nitrogen fixation to improve soil fertility and crop production, thus providing an eco-friendly, alternative, and sustainable approach to reduce the over-reliance on synthetic chemical fertilizers. Improved understanding of cyanobacteria–plant symbiosis for biological nitrogen fixation, and deciphering the molecular mechanisms that underpin these interactions has the potential to inform strategies for reducing environmental footprints in agriculture.