Unraveling carbon dynamics in legume–rhizobia symbioses: toward a single-cell resolution of symbiotic metabolism

Clicks: 1
ID: 320486
2026
Free PDF
Article Quality & Performance Metrics
Overall Quality
Not rated
Combines reader engagement with the AI quality analysis. This article has not been analysed, so there is no overall score — reader engagement is measured and shown alongside.
AI Quality Assessment
Not analyzed
Readership in this journal

Ranked #121 of 280 articles by views in Journal of experimental botany

Most read Least read

Bar heights use a square-root scale. Only the 120 most-read articles are drawn; the journal has 280 in total.

Mint this article as an NFT
Not yet minted

Create a permanent, verifiable on-chain record of this article on the Scimatic Network. The NFT is held in your Journament account, and you can withdraw it to your own wallet at any time.

5 SUSD one-off · no wallet required
Sign in to mint
Abstract
Abstract Legumes acquire nitrogen via a symbiotic interaction with diazotrophic rhizobia bacteria. In return for getting fixed nitrogen, plants deliver high amount of photosynthate to the bacteria to support the nitrogen fixation process. Hence, biological nitrogen fixation in legume plants is a highly energy-demanding process that relies on the precise coordination of carbon allocation and metabolism between the host plant and its microbial symbiont. Although significant progress has been made in understanding carbon fluxes during nodulation, how these processes are spatially and functionally organized across different cell types and developmental stages within nodules remains poorly resolved. This limitation has hindered a comprehensive understanding of how carbon metabolism supports the establishment, maintenance, and termination of symbiosis. In this review, we explore the current understanding of carbon transport and metabolism throughout the nodulation process, from early allocation during rhizobial infection to the complex metabolic, transport, and regulatory networks in mature nitrogen-fixing and senescing nodules. We highlight key knowledge gaps, especially regarding cell-type specific and spatial regulation of carbon metabolism. Finally, we discuss how emerging single-cell and spatial omics techniques offer powerful tools to resolve these gaps, enabling a deeper understanding of the metabolic and regulatory complexity that underpins legume–rhizobia symbiosis.
Reference Key
openalex_W7167897618 Use this key to autocite in the manuscript while using SciMatic Manuscript Manager or Thesis Manager
Authors Toon Leroy, Sofie Goormachtig, Judith Van Dingenen
Journal Journal of experimental botany
Year 2026
DOI
10.1093/jxb/erag342
URL
https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erag342
Keywords Keywords not found

Citations

No citations found. To add a citation, contact the admin at info@scimatic.org

Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment on this article.