The Rules of Engagement in the Legume-Rhizobial Symbiosis

Rhizobial bacteria enter a symbiotic association with leguminous plants, resulting in differentiated bacteria enclosed in intracellular compartments called symbiosomes within nodules on the root. The nodules and associated symbiosomes are structured for efficient nitrogen fixation. Although the interaction is beneficial to both partners, it comes with rigid rules that are strictly enforced by the plant. Entry into root cells requires appropriate recognition of the rhizobial Nod factor signaling molecule, and this recognition activates a series of events, including polarized root-hair tip growth, invagination associated with bacterial infection, and the promotion of cell division in the cortex leading to the…

• BA
  Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

  Awards: BBS/E/J/000C0622, BB/F013159/1, BB/G023832/1
• NI
  National Institutes of Natural Sciences