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A plant regulator controlling development of symbiotic root nodules

Nature volume 402, pages 191–195 (1999)Cite this article

Abstract

Symbiotic nitrogen-fixing root nodules on legumes are founded by root cortical cells that de-differentiate and restart cell division to establish nodule primordia. Bacterial microsymbionts invade these primordia through infection threads laid down by the plant and, after endocytosis, membrane-enclosed bacteroids occupy cells in the nitrogen-fixing tissue of functional nodules. The bacteria excrete lipochitin oligosaccharides1,2, triggering a developmental process that is controlled by the plant and can be suppressed. Nodule inception initially relies on cell competence in a narrow infection zone located just behind the growing root tip. Older nodules then regulate the number of nodules on a root system by suppressing the development of nodule primordia3. To identify the regulatory components that act early in nodule induction, we characterized a transposon-tagged Lotus japonicus mutant, nin (for nodule inception), arrested at the stage of bacterial recognition. We show that nin is required for the formation of infection threads and the initiation of primordia. NIN protein has regional similarity to transcription factors, and the predicted DNA-binding/dimerization domain identifies and typifies a consensus motif conserved in plant proteins with a function in nitrogen-controlled development.

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Figure 1: The phenotype of nin non-nodulating mutants.
Figure 2: Structure of the Nin gene and the allelic series derived by Ac transposition.
Figure 3: Amino-acid sequence and domains of NIN protein.
Figure 4: Expression of Nin during root-nodule development.
Figure 5: In situ localization of the Nin transcripts during nodule development.

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Acknowledgements

We thank C. Ronson for supplying the M. loti nodC mutant; H. Spaink for the purified M. loti lipochitin oligosaccharide; and A. Nielsen and S. Rye for assistance. This research was supported by the Danish Biotechnology Programme and the SJVF Whole Plant Physiology Initiative. J. Stiller was supported by the Danish Science Research Councils postdoc programme, and A.R. by the EU-TMR programme.

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Author notes

  1. Jiri Stiller

    Present address: Plant Molecular Genetics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, 37901-1071, USA

  2. Jens Stougaard: Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to J.S. The Nin gene sequence and cDNA sequence have been deposited in the EMBL database (accession nos AJ238956 and AJ239041, respectively).

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular and Structural Biology, Laboratory of Gene Expression, University of Aarhus, Gustav Wieds Vej 10, Aarhus C, 8000, Denmark

    Jiri Stiller & Jens Stougaard

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  1. Leif Schauser
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Correspondence to Jens Stougaard.

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Schauser, L., Roussis, A., Stiller, J. et al. A plant regulator controlling development of symbiotic root nodules. Nature 402, 191–195 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/46058

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