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1.
A Roadmap toward Engineered Nitrogen-Fixing Nodule Symbiosis.
Huisman, R, Geurts, R
Plant communications. 2020;(1):100019
Abstract
In the late 19th century, it was discovered that legumes can establish a root nodule endosymbiosis with nitrogen-fixing rhizobia. Soon after, the question was raised whether it is possible to transfer this trait to non-leguminous crops. In the past century, an ever-increasing amount of knowledge provided unique insights into the cellular, molecular, and genetic processes controlling this endosymbiosis. In addition, recent phylogenomic studies uncovered several genes that evolved to function specifically to control nodule formation and bacterial infection. However, despite this massive body of knowledge, the long-standing objective to engineer the nitrogen-fixing nodulation trait on non-leguminous crop plants has not been achieved yet. In this review, the unsolved questions and engineering strategies toward nitrogen-fixing nodulation in non-legume plants are discussed and highlighted.
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2.
Functional Analysis of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Genes in Yeast.
Tamayo, E, Gómez-Gallego, T, Ferrol, N
Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.). 2020;:197-211
Abstract
The obligate symbiotic nature of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi makes extremely difficult their genetic manipulation or transformation. For this reason, a heterologous system has been traditionally used for functional analysis of AM fungal genes, being the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae an organism suitable for this purpose. Here we present the yeast methods required for the functional analysis of AM fungal genes, including protocols for yeast transformation, heterologous gene expression, functional complementation assays, preparation of yeast extracts, and subcellular localization of the encoded protein.
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3.
Direct and indirect influence of arbuscular mycorrhizae on enhancing metal tolerance of plants.
Janeeshma, E, Puthur, JT
Archives of microbiology. 2020;(1):1-16
Abstract
The acerbic elevation of toxic metal ions in arable lands, enhance the risk of their accumulation and biomagnification in crops as well as in humans. Phytoremediation is an eco-friendly approach to clear metal-contaminated lands by making use of metal accumulation potential of plants; which are referred to as hyperaccumulators. This phytoremediation potential can be enhanced with the symbiotic association between the root of hyperaccumulators and arbuscular mycorrhizae. Modification of root morphology, enhancement of antioxidants biosynthesis, and the increase in shoot biomass are the changes observed in plants as a result of indirect influence of arbuscular mycorrhizae. Direct influence of arbuscular mycorrhizae on enhancing metal tolerance of plants includes immobilization strategies, adsorption of metals on to the hyphal wall and glomalin exudation. Furthermore, we have discussed arbuscular mycorrhizal induced increment in the metal tolerance potential of plants through the alteration in various metabolic processes with special emphasis to the phenylpropanoid pathway.
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4.
More than words: the chemistry behind the interactions in the plant holobiont.
Berlanga-Clavero, MV, Molina-Santiago, C, de Vicente, A, Romero, D
Environmental microbiology. 2020;(11):4532-4544
Abstract
Plants and microbes have evolved sophisticated ways to communicate and coexist. The simplest interactions that occur in plant-associated habitats, i.e., those involved in disease detection, depend on the production of microbial pathogenic and virulence factors and the host's evolved immunological response. In contrast, microbes can also be beneficial for their host plants in a number of ways, including fighting pathogens and promoting plant growth. In order to clarify the mechanisms directly involved in these various plant-microbe interactions, we must still deepen our understanding of how these interkingdom communication systems, which are constantly modulated by resident microbial activity, are established and, most importantly, how their effects can span physically separated plant compartments. Efforts in this direction have revealed a complex and interconnected network of molecules and associated metabolic pathways that modulate plant-microbe and microbe-microbe communication pathways to regulate diverse ecological responses. Once sufficiently understood, these pathways will be biotechnologically exploitable, for example, in the use of beneficial microbes in sustainable agriculture. The aim of this review is to present the latest findings on the dazzlingly diverse arsenal of molecules that efficiently mediate specific microbe-microbe and microbe-plant communication pathways during plant development and on different plant organs.
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5.
The Jekyll and Hyde Symbiont: Could Wolbachia Be a Nutritional Mutualist?
Newton, ILG, Rice, DW
Journal of bacteriology. 2020;(4)
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Abstract
The most common intracellular symbiont on the planet-Wolbachia pipientis-is infamous largely for the reproductive manipulations induced in its host. However, more recent evidence suggests that this bacterium may also serve as a nutritional mutualist in certain host backgrounds and for certain metabolites. We performed a large-scale analysis of conserved gene content across all sequenced Wolbachia genomes to infer potential nutrients made by these symbionts. We review and critically evaluate the prior research supporting a beneficial role for Wolbachia and suggest future experiments to test hypotheses of metabolic provisioning.
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6.
A Review of the Role of Probiotic Supplementation in Dental Caries.
Sivamaruthi, BS, Kesika, P, Chaiyasut, C
Probiotics and antimicrobial proteins. 2020;(4):1300-1309
Abstract
Dental diseases are among the common health issues experienced around the world. Dental caries is one of the most predominant oral diseases worldwide. Major factors associated with caries development include poor oral hygiene, the content of specific carbohydrates in the diet, dental biofilm formation, the cariogenic microbial load, reduction in salivary flow, insufficient fluoride exposure, gingival recession, genetic factors, and lack of personal attention to one's dental health. Several preventive measures have been implemented to reduce the risk of the development of caries. Probiotics are live microbes that when administered in suitable amounts confer health benefits on the host; they are recognized as potential adjunct therapeutic agents for several diseases. The present manuscript summarizes recent findings on the role of probiotics in dental caries prevention and the possible mechanisms of probiotic effects. Review of the literature indicates the regular consumption of probiotic products significantly reduced the risk of caries by inhibiting cariogenic bacteria and enriching commensal microbes in the oral cavity. Buffering the salivary pH, production of bacteriocin and enzymes (dextranase, mutanase, and urease), the capacity of competing for the adhesion and colonization on tooth surfaces are the possible mechanisms behind the beneficial effect of probiotics. Further studies are necessary to address the efficacy of long-term probiotic supplementation on the control of dental diseases and the influence of childhood probiotic supplementation on the risk of caries development.
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7.
Host investment into symbiosis varies among genotypes of the legume Acmispon strigosus, but host sanctions are uniform.
Wendlandt, CE, Regus, JU, Gano-Cohen, KA, Hollowell, AC, Quides, KW, Lyu, JY, Adinata, ES, Sachs, JL
The New phytologist. 2019;(1):446-458
Abstract
Efficient host control predicts the extirpation of ineffective symbionts, but they are nonetheless widespread in nature. We tested three hypotheses for the maintenance of symbiotic variation in rhizobia that associate with a native legume: partner mismatch between host and symbiont, such that symbiont effectiveness varies with host genotype; resource satiation, whereby extrinsic sources of nutrients relax host control; and variation in host control among host genotypes. We inoculated Acmispon strigosus from six populations with three Bradyrhizobium strains that vary in symbiotic effectiveness on sympatric hosts. We measured proxies of host and symbiont fitness in single- and co-inoculations under fertilization treatments of zero added nitrogen (N) and near-growth-saturating N. We examined two components of host control: 'host investment' into nodule size during single- and co-inoculations, and 'host sanctions' against less effective strains during co-inoculations. The Bradyrhizobium strains displayed conserved growth effects on hosts, and host control did not decline under experimental fertilization. Host sanctions were robust in all hosts, but host lines from different populations varied significantly in measures of host investment in both single- and co-inoculation experiments. Variation in host investment could promote variation in symbiotic effectiveness and prevent the extinction of ineffective Bradyrhizobium from natural populations.
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8.
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis Affects Plant Immunity to Viral Infection and Accumulation.
Hao, Z, Xie, W, Chen, B
Viruses. 2019;(6)
Abstract
Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, as root symbionts of most terrestrial plants, improve plant growth and fitness. In addition to the improved plant nutritional status, the physiological changes that trigger metabolic changes in the root via AM fungi can also increase the host ability to overcome biotic and abiotic stresses. Plant viruses are one of the important limiting factors for the commercial cultivation of various crops. The effect of AM fungi on viral infection is variable, and considerable attention is focused on shoot virus infection. This review provides an overview of the potential of AM fungi as bioprotection agents against viral diseases and emphasizes the complex nature of plant-fungus-virus interactions. Several mechanisms, including modulated plant tolerance, manipulation of induced systemic resistance (ISR), and altered vector pressure are involved in such interactions. We propose that using "omics" tools will provide detailed insights into the complex mechanisms underlying mycorrhizal-mediated plant immunity.
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9.
Horizontal and endosymbiotic gene transfer in early plastid evolution.
Ponce-Toledo, RI, López-García, P, Moreira, D
The New phytologist. 2019;(2):618-624
Abstract
Plastids evolved from a cyanobacterium that was engulfed by a heterotrophic eukaryotic host and became a stable organelle. Some of the resulting eukaryotic algae entered into a number of secondary endosymbioses with diverse eukaryotic hosts. These events had major consequences on the evolution and diversification of life on Earth. Although almost all plastid diversity derives from a single endosymbiotic event, the analysis of nuclear genomes of plastid-bearing lineages has revealed a mosaic origin of plastid-related genes. In addition to cyanobacterial genes, plastids recruited for their functioning eukaryotic proteins encoded by the host nucleus and also bacterial proteins of noncyanobacterial origin. Therefore, plastid proteins and plastid-localised metabolic pathways evolved by tinkering and using gene toolkits from different sources. This mixed heritage seems especially complex in secondary algae containing green plastids, the acquisition of which appears to have been facilitated by many previous acquisitions of red algal genes (the 'red carpet hypothesis').
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10.
Sinorhizobium fredii HH103 RirA Is Required for Oxidative Stress Resistance and Efficient Symbiosis with Soybean.
Crespo-Rivas, JC, Navarro-Gómez, P, Alias-Villegas, C, Shi, J, Zhen, T, Niu, Y, Cuéllar, V, Moreno, J, Cubo, T, Vinardell, JM, et al
International journal of molecular sciences. 2019;(3)
Abstract
Members of Rhizobiaceae contain a homologue of the iron-responsive regulatory protein RirA. In different bacteria, RirA acts as a repressor of iron uptake systems under iron-replete conditions and contributes to ameliorate cell damage during oxidative stress. In Rhizobium leguminosarum and Sinorhizobium meliloti, mutations in rirA do not impair symbiotic nitrogen fixation. In this study, a rirA mutant of broad host range S. fredii HH103 has been constructed (SVQ780) and its free-living and symbiotic phenotypes evaluated. No production of siderophores could be detected in either the wild-type or SVQ780. The rirA mutant exhibited a growth advantage under iron-deficient conditions and hypersensitivity to hydrogen peroxide in iron-rich medium. Transcription of rirA in HH103 is subject to autoregulation and inactivation of the gene upregulates fbpA, a gene putatively involved in iron transport. The S. fredii rirA mutant was able to nodulate soybean plants, but symbiotic nitrogen fixation was impaired. Nodules induced by the mutant were poorly infected compared to those induced by the wild-type. Genetic complementation reversed the mutant's hypersensitivity to H₂O₂, expression of fbpA, and symbiotic deficiency in soybean plants. This is the first report that demonstrates a role for RirA in the Rhizobium-legume symbiosis.