Harnessing biological nitrogen fixation in plant leaves.

Yong-Guan Zhu, Jingjing Peng, Cai Chen, Chao Xiong, Shule Li, Anhui Ge, Ertao Wang, Werner Liesack

Journal: Trends in plant science 2023;28(12):1391-1405

PMID: 37270352

Full Text on Elsevier Science View on PubMed

Abstract

The importance of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) in securing food production for the growing world population with minimal environmental cost has been increasingly acknowledged. Leaf surfaces are one of the biggest microbial habitats on Earth, harboring diverse free-living N-fixers. These microbes inhabit the epiphytic and endophytic phyllosphere and contribute significantly to plant N supply and growth. Here, we summarize the contribution of phyllosphere-BNF to global N cycling, evaluate the diversity of leaf-associated N-fixers across plant hosts and ecosystems, illustrate the ecological adaptation of N-fixers to the phyllosphere, and identify the environmental factors driving BNF. Finally, we discuss potential BNF engineering strategies to improve the nitrogen uptake in plant leaves and thus sustainable food production.

Address: State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, China. Electronic address: [email protected].; State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.; Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, China.; College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.; National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, SIBS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China.; Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, 35043, Germany.

DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.05.009

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MeSH Terms: Ecosystem, Nitrogen Fixation, Nitrogen, Plant Leaves