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 (BNF) 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; they obtain 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 BNF 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.