A lateral organ boundaries domain transcription factor acts downstream of the auxin response factor 2 to control nodulation and root architecture in Medicago truncatula.

Legume plants develop two types of root postembryonic organs, lateral roots and symbiotic nodules, using shared regulatory components. The module composed by the microRNA390, the Trans-Acting SIRNA3 (TAS3) RNA and the Auxin Response Factors (ARF)2, ARF3, and ARF4 (miR390/TAS3/ARFs) mediates the control of both lateral roots and symbiotic nodules in legumes. Here, a transcriptomic approach identified a member of the Lateral Organ Boundaries Domain (LBD) family of transcription factors in Medicago truncatula, designated MtLBD17/29a, which is regulated by the miR390/TAS3/ARFs module.

Nuclear and cytoplasmic lncRNAs in root tips of the model legume Medicago truncatula under control and submergence.

In this study, we aimed to identify long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in root tips of the model legume Medicago truncatula using previously generated nuclear, total polyA, ribosome-associated polyA, and Riboseq RNA datasets, which might shed light on their localization and potential regulatory roles. RNA-seq data were mapped to the version 5 of the M. truncatula A17 genome and analyzed to identify genome annotated lncRNAs and putative new root tip (NRT) lncRNAs.

NIPK, a protein pseudokinase that interacts with the C subunit of the transcription factor NF-Y, is involved in rhizobial infection and nodule organogenesis.

Heterotrimeric Nuclear Factor Y (NF-Y) transcription factors are key regulators of the symbiotic program that controls rhizobial infection and nodule organogenesis. Using a yeast two-hybrid screening, we identified a putative protein kinase of that interacts with the C subunit of the NF-Y complex. Physical interaction between NF-YC1 Interacting Protein Kinase (NIPK) and NF-YC1 occurs in the cytoplasm and the plasma membrane.

Identification of conserved and new miRNAs that affect nodulation and strain selectivity in the Phaseolus vulgaris-Rhizobium etli symbiosis through differential analysis of host small RNAs.

Phaseolus vulgaris plants from the Mesoamerican centre of genetic diversification establish a preferential and more efficient root nodule symbiosis with sympatric Rhizobium etli strains. This is mediated by changes in host gene expression, which might occur either at the transcriptional or at the post-transcriptional level. However, the implication of small RNA (sRNA)-mediated control of gene expression in strain selectivity has remained elusive.

Transcriptomic analysis of Mesoamerican and Andean Phaseolus vulgaris accessions revealed mRNAs and lncRNAs associated with strain selectivity during symbiosis.

Legume plants establish a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with soil bacteria known as rhizobia. Compatibility between legumes and rhizobia is determined at species-specific level, but variations in the outcome of the symbiotic process are also influenced by the capacity of the plant to discriminate and select specific strains that are better partners. We compared the transcriptional response of two genetically diverse accessions of Phaseolus vulgaris from Mesoamerica and South Andes to Rhizobium etli strains that exhibit variable degrees of symbiotic affinities.

Translational regulation in pathogenic and beneficial plant-microbe interactions.

Plants are surrounded by a vast diversity of microorganisms. Limiting pathogenic microorganisms is crucial for plant survival. On the other hand, the interaction of plants with beneficial microorganisms promotes their growth or allows them to overcome nutrient deficiencies.

Auxin Response Factor 2 (ARF2), ARF3, and ARF4 Mediate Both Lateral Root and Nitrogen Fixing Nodule Development in .

Auxin Response Factors (ARFs) constitute a large family of transcription factors that mediate auxin-regulated developmental programs in plants. , , and are post-transcriptionally regulated by the microRNA390 (miR390)/-acting small interference RNA 3 () module through the action of -derived acting small interfering RNAs (ta-siRNA). We have previously reported that constitutive activation of the miR390/ pathway promotes elongation of lateral roots but impairs nodule organogenesis and infection by rhizobia during the nitrogen-fixing symbiosis established between and its partner .

The PvNF-YA1 and PvNF-YB7 Subunits of the Heterotrimeric NF-Y Transcription Factor Influence Strain Preference in the Symbiosis.

Transcription factors of the Nuclear Factor Y (NF-Y) family play essential functions in plant development and plasticity, including the formation of lateral root organs such as lateral root and symbiotic nodules. NF-Ys mediate transcriptional responses by acting as heterotrimers composed of three subunits, NF-YA, NF-YB, and NF-YC, which in plants are encoded by relatively large gene families. We have previously shown that, in the × interaction, the PvNF-YC1 subunit is involved not only in the formation of symbiotic nodules, but also in the preference exhibited by the plant for rhizobial strains that are more efficient and competitive in nodule formation.

Compatibility between Legumes and Rhizobia for the Establishment of a Successful Nitrogen-Fixing Symbiosis.

The root nodule symbiosis established between legumes and rhizobia is an exquisite biological interaction responsible for fixing a significant amount of nitrogen in terrestrial ecosystems. The success of this interaction depends on the recognition of the right partner by the plant within the richest microbial ecosystems on Earth, the soil. Recent metagenomic studies of the soil biome have revealed its complexity, which includes microorganisms that affect plant fitness and growth in a beneficial, harmful, or neutral manner.

The MicroRNA390/TAS3 Pathway Mediates Symbiotic Nodulation and Lateral Root Growth.

Legume roots form two types of postembryonic organs, lateral roots and symbiotic nodules. Nodule formation is the result of the interaction of legumes with rhizobia and requires the mitotic activation and differentiation of root cells as well as an independent, but coordinated, program that allows infection by rhizobia. MicroRNA390 (miR390) is an evolutionarily conserved microRNA that targets the () transcript.

Small GTPases in plant biotic interactions.

The superfamily of small monomeric GTPases originated in a common ancestor of eukaryotic multicellular organisms and, since then, it has evolved independently in each lineage to cope with the environmental challenges imposed by their different life styles. Members of the small GTPase family function in the control of vesicle trafficking, cytoskeleton rearrangements and signaling during crucial biological processes, such as cell growth and responses to environmental cues. In this review, we discuss the emerging roles of these small GTPases in the pathogenic and symbiotic interactions established by plants with microorganisms present in their nearest environment, in which membrane trafficking is crucial along the different steps of the interaction, from recognition and signal transduction to nutrient exchange.

The monomeric GTPase RabA2 is required for progression and maintenance of membrane integrity of infection threads during root nodule symbiosis.

Progression of the infection canal that conducts rhizobia to the nodule primordium requires a functional Rab GTPase located in Golgi/trans-Golgi that also participate in root hair polar growth. Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) symbiotically associates with its partner Rhizobium etli, resulting in the formation of root nitrogen-fixing nodules. Compatible bacteria can reach cortical cells in a tightly regulated infection process, in which the specific recognition of signal molecules is a key step to select the symbiotic partner.

A Phylogenetically Conserved Group of Nuclear Factor-Y Transcription Factors Interact to Control Nodulation in Legumes.

The endosymbiotic association between legumes and soil bacteria called rhizobia leads to the formation of a new root-derived organ called the nodule in which differentiated bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form that can be assimilated by the host plant. Successful root infection by rhizobia and nodule organogenesis require the activation of symbiotic genes that are controlled by a set of transcription factors (TFs). We recently identified Medicago truncatula nuclear factor-YA1 (MtNF-YA1) and MtNF-YA2 as two M.

Changes in the Common Bean Transcriptome in Response to Secreted and Surface Signal Molecules of Rhizobium etli.

Establishment of nitrogen-fixing symbiosis requires the recognition of rhizobial molecules to initiate the development of nodules. Using transcriptional profiling of roots inoculated with mutant strains defective in the synthesis of Nod Factor (NF), exopolysaccharide (EPS), or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), we identified 2,606 genes from common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) that are differentially regulated at early stages of its interaction with Rhizobium etli. Many transcription factors from different families are modulated by NF, EPS, and LPS in different combinations, suggesting that the plant response depends on the integration of multiple signals.

Translating Ribosome Affinity Purification (TRAP) followed by RNA sequencing technology (TRAP-SEQ) for quantitative assessment of plant translatomes.

Translating Ribosome Affinity Purification (TRAP) is a technology to isolate the population of mRNAs associated with at least one 80S ribosome, referred as the translatome. TRAP is based on the expression of an epitope-tagged version of a ribosomal protein and the affinity purification of ribosomes and associated mRNAs using antibodies conjugated to agarose beads. Quantitative assessment of the translatome is achieved by direct RNA sequencing (RNA-SEQ), which provides accurate quantitation of ribosome-associated mRNAs and reveals alternatively spliced isoforms.

A nuclear factor Y interacting protein of the GRAS family is required for nodule organogenesis, infection thread progression, and lateral root growth.

A C subunit of the heterotrimeric nuclear factor Y (NF-YC1) was shown to play a key role in nodule organogenesis and bacterial infection during the nitrogen fixing symbiosis established between common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and Rhizobium etli. To identify other proteins involved in this process, we used the yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) two-hybrid system to screen for NF-YC1-interacting proteins. One of the positive clones encodes a member of the Phytochrome A Signal Transduction1 subfamily of GRAS (for Gibberellic Acid-Insensitive (GAI), Repressor of GAI, and Scarecrow) transcription factors.

Knock-down of a member of the isoflavone reductase gene family impairs plant growth and nodulation in Phaseolus vulgaris.

Flavonoids and isoflavonoids participate in the signaling exchange between roots of legumes and nitrogen-fixing rhizobia and can promote division of cortical cells during nodule formation by inhibiting auxin transport. Here, we report the characterization of a member of the common bean isoflavone reductase (EC 1.3.

Insights into post-transcriptional regulation during legume-rhizobia symbiosis.

During the past ten years, changes in the transcriptome have been assessed at different stages of the legume-rhizobia association by the use of DNA microarrays and, more recently, by RNA sequencing technologies. These studies allowed the identification of hundred or thousand of genes whose steady-state mRNA levels increase or decrease upon bacterial infection or in nodules as compared with uninfected roots. However, transcriptome based-approaches do not distinguish between mRNAs that are being actively translated, stored as messenger ribonucleoproteins (mRNPs) or targeted for degradation.

Selective recruitment of mRNAs and miRNAs to polyribosomes in response to rhizobia infection in Medicago truncatula.

Translation of mRNAs is a key regulatory step that contributes to the coordination and modulation of eukaryotic gene expression during development or adaptation to the environment. mRNA stability or translatability can be regulated by the action of small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs), which control diverse biological processes. Under low nitrogen conditions, leguminous plants associate with soil bacteria and develop a new organ specialized in nitrogen fixation: the nodule.

A C subunit of the plant nuclear factor NF-Y required for rhizobial infection and nodule development affects partner selection in the common bean-Rhizobium etli symbiosis.

Legume plants are able to interact symbiotically with soil bacteria to form nitrogen-fixing root nodules. Although specific recognition between rhizobia and legume species has been extensively characterized, plant molecular determinants that govern the preferential colonization by different strains within a single rhizobium species have received little attention. We found that the C subunit of the heterotrimeric nuclear factor NF-Y from common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) NF-YC1 plays a key role in the improved nodulation seen by more efficient strains of rhizobia.

A small GTPase of the Rab family is required for root hair formation and preinfection stages of the common bean-Rhizobium symbiotic association.

Legume plants are able to establish a symbiotic relationship with soil bacteria from the genus Rhizobium, leading to the formation of nitrogen-fixing root nodules. Successful nodulation requires both the formation of infection threads (ITs) in the root epidermis and the activation of cell division in the cortex to form the nodule primordium. This study describes the characterization of RabA2, a common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) cDNA previously isolated as differentially expressed in root hairs infected with Rhizobium etli, which encodes a protein highly similar to small GTPases of the RabA2 subfamily.

Host genes involved in nodulation preference in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)-rhizobium etli symbiosis revealed by suppressive subtractive hybridization.

Common bean cultivars are nodulated preferentially by Rhizobium etli lineages from the same center of host diversification. Nodulation was found to be earlier and numerous in bean plants inoculated with the cognate strain. We predicted that analysis of transcripts at early stages of the interaction between host and rhizobium would identify plant genes that are most likely to be involved in this preferential nodulation.

Molecular characterization of a potato MAP kinase transcriptionally regulated by multiple environmental stresses.

The MAPK cascade is an evolutionary conserved signaling pathway that links external stimuli with cellular responses. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a DNA fragment corresponding to a Solanum tuberosum MAPK, StMPK1, was isolated. StMPK1 amino acid sequence displayed over 90% identity with tomato MPK1 (LeMPK1) and tobacco SIPK.

A bZIP transcription factor from Phytophthora interacts with a protein kinase and is required for zoospore motility and plant infection.

Zoospores are critical in the disease cycle of Phytophthora infestans, a member of the oomycete group of fungus-like microbes and the cause of potato late blight. A protein kinase induced during zoosporogenesis, Pipkz1, was shown to interact in the yeast two-hybrid system with a putative bZIP transcription factor. This interaction was confirmed in vitro using a pull-down assay.