FeSYM · Cytosolic Iron Delivery for Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation

Cytosolic Iron Delivery for Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation

The current agricultural landscape faces critical challenges regarding the sustainability and environmental impact of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers. The overuse of these fertilizers, while essential for crop production, contributes to soil degradation, water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. A promising solution lies in the natural process of Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation (SNF), where legume plants, in partnership with soil bacteria (rhizobia), convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form usable by plants. This process, which occurs in specialized root nodules, is a key alternative to synthetic fertilizers, especially in regions where their use is environmentally or economically unsustainable. Central to this process is the role of iron, an essential nutrient required for the function of nitrogenase, the enzyme responsible for nitrogen fixation. However, despite its importance, the mechanisms regulating iron distribution within the plant to the nodules, where nitrogen fixation occurs, remain poorly understood. Iron bioavailability in soils is often limited, particularly in areas where legumes could provide significant ecological and economic benefits. Therefore, understanding how plants manage and deliver iron to their nodules is critical for enhancing nitrogen fixation efficiency. The objective of this project is to unravel the mechanisms that govern iron sorting and delivery in legumes, specifically in the context of the symbiosis between Medicago truncatula and Sinorhizobium meliloti. The project aims to identify key proteins that interact with the iron transporters involved in iron delivery to nodules, including VTL8 and FPN2, and to determine their physiological roles in nitrogen fixation. By characterizing the proteins involved in iron homeostasis and identifying potential iron chaperones, this research seeks to fill a significant gap in our understanding of plant metal nutrition and improve strategies for biofortification and sustainable agriculture. The project’s expected impacts are twofold. Scientifically, it will pioneer new insights into the specific roles of metallochaperones in plants, shedding light on how metals like iron are precisely allocated in critical plant processes. This knowledge could enhance efforts to improve nitrogen fixation rates in legumes and extend this capacity to other crops, including cereals. From an economic and societal perspective, the research will contribute to developing crops that require less external nitrogen input, reducing the dependency on harmful synthetic fertilizers and supporting sustainable agricultural practices. Additionally, this research will support global food security by promoting more efficient nitrogen use in soils with low bioavailability. The integration of social sciences and humanities within this project will involve considering the broader implications of enhanced nitrogen fixation for global food security, sustainable farming, and environmental policy. These disciplines will help contextualize the scientific findings within the political and economic frameworks of agricultural practices, especially in areas struggling with soil depletion and limited access to fertilizers.

Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз