Nonlegumes Respond to Rhizobial Nod Factors by Suppressing the Innate Immune Response

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 341; no. 6152; pp. 1384 - 1387
• Main Authors: Liang, Yan, Cao, Yangrong, Tanaka, Kiwamu, Thibivilliers, Sandra, Wan, Jinrong, Choi, Jeongmin, ho Kang, Chang, Qiu, Jing, Stacey, Gary
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Association for the Advancement of Science 20.09.2013; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Arabidopsis; Arabidopsis - drug effects; Arabidopsis - immunology; Arabidopsis - microbiology; Arabidopsis Proteins - metabolism; Bacteria; Biological and medical sciences; Calcium; Cell Membrane - metabolism; Cell membranes; Chitin; Corn; Crops; Economic plant physiology; Fertilizers; Flagellin - immunology; Flowers & plants; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glycine max - immunology; Glycine max - microbiology; Immune response; Immune system; Immunity; Immunity, Innate - drug effects; Immunity, Innate - immunology; innate immunity; Legumes; Lipopolysaccharides - immunology; Lipopolysaccharides - pharmacology; Lycopersicon esculentum; Microorganisms; microsymbionts; Neurons; nitrogen; Nitrogen fixation; Nitrogen Fixation - genetics; nitrogen-fixing bacteria; Oligosaccharides - immunology; Oligosaccharides - pharmacology; Plants; Protein Kinases - metabolism; Proteolysis; Reactive oxygen species; Receptors; Receptors, Pattern Recognition - metabolism; Retarding; Soybeans; Symbiosis; Symbiosis (nodules, symbiotic nitrogen fixation, mycorrhiza...); Tomatoes; Symbiosis; Immune response; Oligosaccharide; Nodulation; Natural immunity; Elicitor; Arabidopsis thaliana; Molecular signal; Cruciferae; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Plasma membrane; Molecular recognition; Bacteria; Spermatophyta; Cultivated plant; Rhizobiaceae; Experimental plant; Plant microorganism relation
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1242736

Virtually since the discovery of nitrogen-fixing Rhizobium-legume symbioses, researchers have dreamed of transferring this capability into nonlegume crop species (for example, corn). In general, nonlegumes were assumed to lack the ability to respond to the rhizobial lipo-chitin Nod factors, which are the essential signal molecules that trigger legume nodulation. However, our data indicate that Arabidopsis thaliana plants, as well as other nonlegumes, recognize the rhizobial Nod factor via a mechanism that results in strong suppression of microbe-associated molecular pattern (MAMP)—triggered immunity. The mechanism of action leads to reduced levels of pattern-recognition receptors on the plasma membrane involved in MAMP recognition.