Exploiting an ancient signalling machinery to enjoy a nitrogen fixing symbiosis.
For almost a century now it has been speculated that a transfer of the largely legume-specific symbiosis with nitrogen fixing rhizobium would be profitable in agriculture [1,2]. Up to now such a step has not been achieved, despite intensive research in this era. Novel insights in the underlying signalling networks leading to intracellular accommodation of rhizobium as well as mycorrhizal fungi of the Glomeromycota order show extensive commonalities between both interactions. As mycorrhizae symbiosis can be established basically with most higher plant species it raises questions why is it only in a few taxonomic lineages that the underlying signalling network could be hijacked by rhizobium. Unravelling this will lead to insights that are essential to achieve an old dream.
Wageningen University, Department of Plant Science, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6709BP Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Rene
R
Geurts
Alessandra
A
Lillo
Ton
T
Bisseling
D007887:Fabaceae / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D055137:Glomeromycota / Q000378:metabolism*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000378:metabolism; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000378:metabolism*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D009586:Nitrogen Fixation / Q000502:physiology*; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators / Q000378:metabolism; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D012231:Rhizobium / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D013559:Symbiosis / Q000502:physiology*
D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; C023023:lipid-linked oligosaccharides; D009584:Nitrogen