• Molecules and Cells
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.129-134
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• 2009

Legume plants develop root nodules to recruit nitrogen-fixing bacteria called rhizobia. This symbiotic relationship allows the host plants to grow even under nitrogen limiting environment. Since nodule development is an energetically expensive process, the number of nodules should be tightly controlled by the host plants. For this purpose, legume plants utilize a long-distance signaling known as autoregulation of nodulation (AON). AON signaling in legumes has been extensively studied over decades but the underlying molecular mechanism had been largely unclear until recently. With the advent of the model legumes, L. japonicus and M. truncatula, we have been seeing a great progress including isolation of the AON-associated receptor kinase. Here, we summarize recent studies on AON and discuss an updated view of the long-distance control of nodulation.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.299-306
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• 2009

In nitrogen-limited conditions, rhizobia lead to formation of nitrogen-fixing nodules on the roots of leguminous plants. The process of nodulation is autoregulated by pre-existing nodules in the same root system. The altered profile of sap proteins by inoculation with B. japonicum may indicate presence of a signal responsible for autoregulation transferred through stem. The 20 kDa protein enhanced by innoculation significantly decreased in intensity from 2.5 to 7 days after inoculation (DAI). However 6 kDa protein did increase during such a transition period. Western blot analysis showed that both 20 kDa and 6 kDa were cross-reacted with the SKTI antiserum. This suggests that SKTI may be involved in soybean nodulation by specific induction and degradation in stem sap during early stage of nodulation. RNAi technique and Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated transformation were applied to investigate the function of SKTI in nodulation. We have found that the number of rhizobium-induced nodule was much less in SKTIi-silenced hairy roots than the non-silenced. Indeed the quantitative RT-PCR showed that the expression level of SKTI gene was reduced over 40% in the transgenic hairy roots compared to the non-transgenic. It appears that the observed early induction of SKTI and degradation into small peptide in a specific time manner may be involved in autoregulation of nodulation in soybean and the specific mechanism of such regulation remains to be investigated.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.28-31
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• 1998

Nodule development was regulated partially by host plant factors originating in the shoots and roots. This study was performed to identify the origin of the factors regulating nodulation in supernodulating soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) mutant 'SS2-2' which was isolated recently from ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) mutagenesis of 'Sinpaldalkong 2'. Self- and reciprocal-grafts were made among three soybean genotypes which consisted of two supernodulating mutants, SS2-2 and 'nts 382', and a normal nodulating Sinpaldalkong 2. Self-grafted supernodulating mutants were characterized by greater nodule number, nodule dry weight, and $C_2$H$_2$ reduction activity than self-grafted wild types. They were also characterized by relatively higher nodule to root dry weight. Significant shoot genotypic effects were observed on nodule number, nodule dry weight, and $C_2\;H_2$ reduction activity per plant, whereas varying root genotypes had no effects. From this result, it is surmised that supernodulating characters are controlled by a graft-transmissible shoot factor, and mutant SS2-2 may have similar nodulation mechanism to the former supernodulating nts 382. In all grafts, both supernodulating mutants and Sinpaldalkong 2 maintained the similar balance between above ground and below ground parts regardless of significant differences in partitioning of dry matter into root and nodule between supernodulating mutants and Sinpaldalkong 2.