articleNature PlantsJan 2, 2026HYBRID OA

A novel cis-element enabled bacterial uptake by plant cells

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München · Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · +5 more institutions

PubMed
Indexed incrossrefpubmed

Abstract

The root nodule symbiosis of plants with nitrogen-fixing bacteria is phylogenetically restricted to a single clade of flowering plants, which calls for as yet unidentified trait acquisitions and genetic changes in the last common ancestor. Here we discovered-within the promoter of the transcription factor gene Nodule Inception (NIN)-a cis-regulatory element (PACE), exclusively present in members of this clade. PACE was essential for restoring infection threads in nin mutants of the legume Lotus japonicus. PACE sequence variants from root nodule symbiosis-competent species appeared functionally equivalent. Evolutionary loss or mutation of PACE is associated with loss of this symbiosis. During the early stages…

No related works found for this paper.

Funding