Glycomolecules: from "sweet immunity" to "sweet biostimulation"?

Abstract

Climate changes and environmental contaminants are daunting challenges that require an urgent change from current agricultural practices to sustainable agriculture. Biostimulants are natural solutions that adhere to the principles of organic farming and are believed to have low impacts on the environment and human health. Further, they may contribute to reducing the use of chemical inputs while maintaining productivity in adverse environments. Biostimulants are generally defined as formulated substances and microorganisms showing benefits for plant growth, yield, rhizosphere function, nutrient-use efficiency, quality of harvested products, or abiotic stress tolerance. These biosolutions are categorized in different subclasses. Several of them are enriched in glycomolecules and their oligomers. However, very few studies have considered them as active molecules in biostimulation and as a subclass on their own. Herein, we describe the structure and the functions of complex polysaccharides, glycoproteins, and glycolipids in relation to plant defense or biostimulation. We also discuss the parallels between sugar-enhanced plant defense and biostimulation with glycomolecules and introduce the concept of sweet biostimulation or glycostimulation.