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

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. Thi...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Authors: Álvarez, Consolación, Jiménez-Ríos, Lucía, Iniesta-Pallarés, Macarena, Jurado-Flores, Ana, Molina-Heredia, Fernando P., Ng, Carl K. Y., Mariscal, Vicente
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2023
Country:España
Institution:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repository:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/352273
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/352273
https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85175144931
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Symbiosis
Nostoc
Biofertilizer
PGPR
Cyanobacteria
Heterocyst
Description
Summary: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.