Legume Genomics and Genetics 2024, Vol.15, No.1, 1-12 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/lgg 1 Review and Progress Open Access A Comprehensive Study on Nitrogen Fixation and Growth and Development Regulation of Leguminous Plants Guoliang Wang, Mingxia Li Biotechnology Research Center, Cuixi Academy of Biotechnology, Zhuji, 311800, Zhejiang, China Corresponding email: mingxiali@gmail.com Legume Genomics and Genetics, 2024 Vol.15, No.1 doi: 10.5376/lgg.2024.15.0001 Received: 03 Dec., 2023 Accepted: 06 Jan., 2024 Published: 23 Jan., 2024 Copyright © 2024 Wang and Li, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Wang G.L., and Li M.X., 2024, A comprehensive study on nitrogen fixation and growth and development regulation of leguminous plants, Legume Genomics and Genetics, 15(1): 1-12 (doi: 10.5376/lgg.2024.15.0001) Abstract Legumes are important nitrogen fixers that play significant roles in agricultural sustainability and ecosystem functioning. This review studied the relationship between nitrogen fixation and growth & development regulation in legumes. Firstly, it introduced the mechanism of legume nitrogen fixation, including root nodule formation with rhizobia, the nitrogenase system and nitrogen fixation process, as well as the interaction between nodule formation and the nitrogenase system. Secondly, it discussed the impacts of nodule formation on plant growth and development, signaling communication between rhizobia and plants ， and rhizobia-induced plant metabolic regulation. Further, it summarized the advances in molecular mechanism research, agricultural applications of legume nitrogen fixation and growth & development regulation, as well as its ecological impacts. Finally, it proposed future research directions and challenges, including unknown mechanisms of legume nitrogen fixation, interactions with other growth and development regulatory pathways, and application prospects in nitrogen management and agricultural sustainability. This review provides important references for further studies in the field of legume nitrogen fixation and growth & development regulation. Keywords Legumes; Nitrogen fixation; Growth and development regulation; Rhizobia; Agricultural sustainability 1 Introduction Leguminosae are a large family of plants, including many important crops and wild plants. The plants of this family have various uses, from food and feed crops to medicinal plants, all of which play extremely important roles on a global scale. Leguminous plants, such as soybeans, peas, and kidney beans, are also important sources of protein worldwide. The seeds of these plants are rich in high-quality protein, which is of great significance for the nutrition of humans and animals. In addition, many plants in the legume family have medicinal value and are widely used in traditional medicine and modern drug development. For example, yew is a commonly used Chinese medicinal herb that has anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects. As early as 1888, German scientists discovered that leguminous plants coexisting with rhizobia can convert nitrogen into the nitrogen nutrients needed by plants. In the symbiosis between leguminous plants and rhizobia, leguminous plants provide a suitable nitrogen fixation environment and the necessary carbohydrates for the growth of rhizobia; In return, rhizobia convert nitrogen into nitrogen-containing compounds to meet the nitrogen requirements of leguminous plants. In addition, fixed nitrogen is also released into the soil and utilized by other plants. It is interesting that species that can symbiotically fix nitrogen with nitrogen fixing bacteria are only distributed in the order Fabales, Rosales, Cucurbitales, and Fagaceae, among which leguminous plants rhizobia symbiotic nitrogen fixation research is more extensive (Pagliai et al., 2020). It was not until the 20th century that research on nitrogen fixation mechanisms in leguminous plants gradually began, as understanding of nitrogen cycling, plant microbial interactions, and other aspects deepened. Researchers have shown a strong interest in utilizing the nitrogen fixation capacity of leguminous plants to improve agricultural production efficiency and reduce environmental impacts, which has been driving research in related fields.
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