A newly-evolved chimeric lysin motif receptor-like kinase in Medicago truncatula spp. tricycla R108 extends its Rhizobia symbiotic partnership

Rhizobial lipochitooligosaccharidic Nod factors (NFs), specified by nod genes, are the primary determinants of host specificity in the legume-Rhizobia symbiosis. We examined the nodulation ability of Medicago truncatula cv Jemalong A17 and M. truncatula ssp. tricycla R108 with the Sinorhizobium meli...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inbioRxiv
Main Authors Thi-Bich Luu, Ourth, Anna, Pouzet, Cecile, Pauly, Nicolas, Cullimore, Julie
Format Paper
LanguageEnglish
Published Cold Spring Harbor Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press 19.01.2022
Subjects
Acetic acid
Genetic transformation
Host specificity
Legumes
Medicago truncatula
Mutants
Nod factors
Nodulation
Phenotypes
Signal transduction
Symbiosis
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Summary:Rhizobial lipochitooligosaccharidic Nod factors (NFs), specified by nod genes, are the primary determinants of host specificity in the legume-Rhizobia symbiosis. We examined the nodulation ability of Medicago truncatula cv Jemalong A17 and M. truncatula ssp. tricycla R108 with the Sinorhizobium meliloti nodF/nodL mutant, which produces modified NFs. We then applied genetic and functional approaches to study the genetic basis and mechanism of nodulation of R108 by this mutant. We show that the nodF/nodL mutant can nodulate R108 but not A17. Using genomics and reverse genetics, we identified a newly-evolved, chimeric LysM receptor-like kinase gene in R108, LYK2bis, which is responsible for the phenotype and can allow A17 to gain nodulation with the nodF/nodL mutant. We found that LYK2bis is involved in nodulation by mutants producing non-O-acetylated NFs and interacts with the key receptor protein NFP. Many, but not all natural S. meliloti and S. medicae strains tested require LYK2bis for efficient nodulation of R108. Our findings reveal that a newly-evolved gene in R108, LYK2bis, extends nodulation specificity to mutants producing non-O-acetylated NFs and is important for nodulation by many natural Sinorhizobia. Evolution of this gene may present an adaptive advantage to allow nodulation by a greater variety of strains. Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. Footnotes * The new result on the role of LYK2bis in nodulation of R108 with natural rhizobium strains has been added.
DOI:10.1101/2021.11.23.469708