The XIX SEFIN Congress and 2nd Spanish-Portuguese Congress on Beneficial Plant-Microorganism Interactions (BeMiPlant)

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

Pluricellular organisms rely on interactions with a variety of microorganisms for their livelihood and survival. In plants, a wide range of microorganisms—like diazotrophic bacteria, mycorrhizal fungi, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), and leaf and seed endophytes—play crucial roles in promoting growth through various beneficial processes. These effects include supplying essential forms of nitrogen and phosphorus, facilitating water uptake, producing plant hormones, increasing environmental stress tolerance, and protecting against phytopathogens. The benefits of such associations are evident not only in natural environments, where they aid in the restoration of degraded lands, but also in agricultural systems, where they can significantly enhance crop yields, thereby reducing the necessity for expensive and environmentally harmful agrochemicals. The Frankia– and rhizobium–legume nitrogen fixing symbioses and the association of mycorrhizal fungi with most land plants are among the most well-characterized, beneficial plant–microbe associations. However, additional fungal and bacterial members of plant microbiomes are gaining recognition for their plant growth improvements and are starting to steal the spotlight.

This Topic will include original research articles covering physiology, biochemistry, genetics, genomics, evolution, and agricultural applications of plant beneficial microorganisms and of their host partners and it is open to researchers who participated in the XIX SEFIN Congress and 2nd Spanish-Portuguese Congress on Beneficial Plant-Microorganism Interactions (BeMiPlant).

Prof. Dr. Jose Maria Vinardell González
Prof. Dr. Beatriz Ramos Solano
Prof. Dr. Juan Sanjuán
Dr. Isabel V. Castro
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Agronomy agronomy	3.3	6.2	2011	17.6 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Applied Microbiology applmicrobiol	-	-	2021	14.3 Days	CHF 1000	Submit
International Journal of Molecular Sciences ijms	4.9	8.1	2000	16.8 Days	CHF 2900	Submit
Microorganisms microorganisms	4.1	7.4	2013	11.7 Days	CHF 2700	Submit
Plants plants	4.0	6.5	2012	18.9 Days	CHF 2700	Submit

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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All Agronomy Applied Microbiology IJMS Microorganisms Plants

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12 pages, 1053 KiB  

Open AccessReview

TtsI: Beyond Type III Secretion System Activation in Rhizobia

by Irene Jiménez-Guerrero, Sebastián Acosta-Jurado, Pilar Navarro-Gómez, Francisco Fuentes-Romero, Cynthia Alías-Villegas, Francisco-Javier López-Baena and José-María Vinardell

Appl. Microbiol. 2025, 5(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/applmicrobiol5010004 - 5 Jan 2025

Viewed by 439

Abstract

The expression of the rhizobial symbiotic genes is controlled by various transcriptional regulators. After induction with appropriate plant flavonoids, NodD is responsible for the activation of the expression of genes related to Nod factor synthesis and secretion, but also, in most rhizobia harbouring [...] Read more.

The expression of the rhizobial symbiotic genes is controlled by various transcriptional regulators. After induction with appropriate plant flavonoids, NodD is responsible for the activation of the expression of genes related to Nod factor synthesis and secretion, but also, in most rhizobia harbouring a symbiotic type III secretion system (T3SS), the expression of ttsI. The ttsI gene encodes the positive regulator of the expression of T3SS-related genes, including those coding for structural components and for type III-secreted effector proteins. However, besides this general role among T3SS-harbouring rhizobia, different works have shown additional functions of TtsI in the regulation (positive or negative) of other bacterial traits such as the production of modified lipopolysaccharides or different types of motility (swimming or surface spreading). Interestingly, these additional functions appear to be rather specific than general among rhizobia. Moreover, in Sinorhizobium fredii HH103, TtsI affects the expression of various genes belonging to the nod regulon, including several transcriptional regulators. This review summarizes all the well-known bacterial traits affected by TtsI and describes other rhizobial genes that are regulated by TtsI but whose function remains to be established. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic The XIX SEFIN Congress and 2nd Spanish-Portuguese Congress on Beneficial Plant-Microorganism Interactions (BeMiPlant))

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13 pages, 1583 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Iron Deficiency in Tomatoes Reversed by Pseudomonas Strains: A Synergistic Role of Siderophores and Plant Gene Activation

by Belén Montero-Palmero, Jose A. Lucas, Blanca Montalbán, Ana García-Villaraco, Javier Gutierrez-Mañero and Beatriz Ramos-Solano

Plants 2024, 13(24), 3585; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13243585 - 22 Dec 2024

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Abstract

An alkaline pH in soils reduces Fe availability, limiting Fe uptake, compromising plant growth, and showing chlorosis due to a decrease in chlorophyll content. To achieve proper Fe homeostasis, dicotyledonous plants activate a battery of strategies involving not only Fe absorption mechanisms, but [...] Read more.

An alkaline pH in soils reduces Fe availability, limiting Fe uptake, compromising plant growth, and showing chlorosis due to a decrease in chlorophyll content. To achieve proper Fe homeostasis, dicotyledonous plants activate a battery of strategies involving not only Fe absorption mechanisms, but also releasing phyto-siderophores and recruiting siderophore-producing bacterial strains. A screening for siderophore-producing bacterial isolates from the rhizosphere of Pinus pinea was carried out, resulting in two Pseudomonas strains, Z8.8 and Z10.4, with an outstanding in vitro potential to solubilize Fe, Mn, and Co. The delivery of each strain to 4-week-old iron-starved tomatoes reverted chlorosis, consistent with enhanced Fe contents up to 40%. Photosynthesis performance was improved, revealing different strategies. While Z8.8 increased energy absorption together with enhanced chlorophyll “a” content, followed by enhanced energy dissipation, Z10.4 lowered pigment contents, indicating a better use of absorbed energy, leading to a better survival rate. The systemic reprogramming induced by both strains reveals a lower expression of Fe uptake-related genes, suggesting that both strains have activated plant metabolism to accelerate Fe absorption faster than controls, consistent with increased Fe content in leaves (47% by Z8.8 and 42% by Z10.4), with the difference probably due to the ability of Z8.8 to produce auxins affecting root structure. In view of these results, both strains are effective candidates to develop biofertilizers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic The XIX SEFIN Congress and 2nd Spanish-Portuguese Congress on Beneficial Plant-Microorganism Interactions (BeMiPlant))

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17 pages, 2589 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

A Novel Enterococcus-Based Nanofertilizer Promotes Seedling Growth and Vigor in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

by Salma Batool, Maryam Safdar, Saira Naseem, Abdul Sami, Rahman Shah Zaib Saleem, Estíbaliz Larrainzar and Izzah Shahid

Plants 2024, 13(20), 2875; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13202875 - 14 Oct 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1094

Abstract

Excessive use of chemical fertilizers poses significant environmental and health concerns. Microbial-based biofertilizers are increasingly being promoted as safe alternatives. However, they have limitations such as gaining farmers’ trust, the need for technical expertise, and the variable performance of microbes in the field. [...] Read more.

Excessive use of chemical fertilizers poses significant environmental and health concerns. Microbial-based biofertilizers are increasingly being promoted as safe alternatives. However, they have limitations such as gaining farmers’ trust, the need for technical expertise, and the variable performance of microbes in the field. The development of nanobiofertilizers as agro-stimulants and agro-protective agents for climate-smart and sustainable agriculture could overcome these limitations. In the present study, auxin-producing Enterococcus sp. SR9, based on its plant growth-promoting traits, was selected for the microbe-assisted synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). These microbial-nanoparticles SR9AgNPs were characterized using UV/Vis spectrophotometry, scanning electron microscopy, and a size analyzer. To test the efficacy of SR9AgNPs compared to treatment with the SR9 isolate alone, the germination rates of cucumber (Cucumis sativus), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seeds were analyzed. The data revealed that seeds simultaneously treated with SR9AgNPs and SR9 showed better germination rates than untreated control plants. In the case of vigor, wheat showed the most positive response to the nanoparticle treatment, with a higher vigor index than the other crops analyzed. The toxicity assessment of SR9AgNPs demonstrated no apparent toxicity at a concentration of 100 ppm, resulting in the highest germination and biomass gain in wheat seedlings. This work represents the first step in the characterization of microbial-assisted SR9AgNPs and encourages future studies to extend these conclusions to other relevant crops under field conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic The XIX SEFIN Congress and 2nd Spanish-Portuguese Congress on Beneficial Plant-Microorganism Interactions (BeMiPlant))

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