Chinese Bulletin of Botany ›› 2013, Vol. 48 ›› Issue (6): 665-675.DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1259.2013.00665

Previous Articles     Next Articles

Research Progress in Early Symbiotic Signal Transduction in Legumes

Hengbin He*, Guixia Jia   

  1. National Engineering Research Center for Floriculture, College of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
  • Received:2012-09-18 Revised:2013-01-28 Online:2013-11-01 Published:2013-12-03
  • Contact: Hengbin He

Abstract: Legumes have a symbiotic relationship with soil bacteria known as rhizobia, which induce the formation of a nitrogen-fixing nodules in the host. This symbiotic process includes Nod factor recognition and signaling, rhizobial infection, nodule formation, and establishment of functional (nitrogen-fixing) symbiosis. Genetic screens in model legumes Medicago truncatula and Lotus japonicus have identified symbiotic mutants that are blocked at different stages in the legume-rhizobium interaction. An early symbiotic signal transduction pathway is established that contains Nod factor recognition, signal transduction, and transcriptional response. In this review, we survey recent progress in understanding these aspects of the interaction.