Plant symbiosis articles from across Nature Portfolio

Liu et al. show some non-symbiotic NIN orthologues can function in nodule symbiosis, indicating this ability predates nodulation. Analyses of subcellular localization and evolutionary conservation reveal symbiotic refinement of NIN after recruitment.

The authors provide evidence that symbiotic fungi forming widespread arbuscular mycorrhiza symbioses use cross-kingdom RNA interference to silence plant genes and promote their colonization of host roots.

Single cell RNA-seq shows that commensal bacteria activate a Nod factor-independent program in legume root hairs overlapping with rhizobial signaling. RHD6LA facilitates infection thread formation and limits excessive responses to commensals.

This study reveals how plant-associated bacteria dynamically reprogram gene expression during root colonization, using a new high-throughput approach that overcomes low bacterial biomass and interference from plant RNA.

In this Journal Club, Mengcen Wang discusses papers that uncover chemical crosstalk between plants and their microbiota.

Phenazines, antimicrobial secondary metabolites, inhibit Gram-positive bacteria by targeting topoisomerase IV, but Bacillus cohabiting with phenazine-producing Pseudomonas can evolve resistance, enabling synergism for agricultural biocontrol.

In this Journal Club, Juliana Almario revisits papers showing nutrient transfers between endophytic insect-parasitic fungi and plants, blurring the lines between mycorrhizal fungi and fungal root endophytes.