AUTHOR=Compton K. Karl , Scharf Birgit E. 

TITLE=Rhizobial Chemoattractants, the Taste and Preferences of Legume Symbionts

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2021.686465

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2021.686465

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>The development of host-microbe interactions between legumes and their cognate rhizobia requires localization of the bacteria to productive sites of initiation on the plant roots. This end is achieved by the motility apparatus that propels the bacterium and the chemotaxis system that guides it. Motility and chemotaxis aid rhizobia in their competitiveness for space, resources, and nodulation opportunities. Here, we examine studies on chemotaxis of three major model rhizobia, namely <italic>Sinorhizobium meliloti</italic>, <italic>Rhizobium leguminosarum</italic>, and <italic>Bradyrhizobium japonicum</italic>, cataloging their range of attractant molecules and correlating this in the context of root and seed exudate compositions. Current research areas will be summarized, gaps in knowledge discussed, and future directions described.</p>