TY - JOUR
T1 - Single-cell analysis identifies genes facilitating rhizobium infection in Lotus japonicus
AU - Frank, Manuel
AU - Fechete, Lavinia Ioana
AU - Tedeschi, Francesca
AU - Nadzieja, Marcin
AU - Nørgaard, Malita Malou Malekzadeh
AU - Montiel, Jesus
AU - Andersen, Kasper Røjkjær
AU - Schierup, Mikkel H
AU - Reid, Dugald
AU - Andersen, Stig Uggerhøj
PY - 2023/12
Y1 - 2023/12
N2 - Legume-rhizobium signaling during establishment of symbiotic nitrogen fixation restricts rhizobium colonization to specific cells. A limited number of root hair cells allow infection threads to form, and only a fraction of the epidermal infection threads progress to cortical layers to establish functional nodules. Here we use single-cell analysis to define the epidermal and cortical cell populations that respond to and facilitate rhizobium infection. We then identify high-confidence nodulation gene candidates based on their specific expression in these populations, pinpointing genes stably associated with infection across genotypes and time points. We show that one of these, which we name SYMRKL1, encodes a protein with an ectodomain predicted to be nearly identical to that of SYMRK and is required for normal infection thread formation. Our work disentangles cellular processes and transcriptional modules that were previously confounded due to lack of cellular resolution, providing a more detailed understanding of symbiotic interactions.
AB - Legume-rhizobium signaling during establishment of symbiotic nitrogen fixation restricts rhizobium colonization to specific cells. A limited number of root hair cells allow infection threads to form, and only a fraction of the epidermal infection threads progress to cortical layers to establish functional nodules. Here we use single-cell analysis to define the epidermal and cortical cell populations that respond to and facilitate rhizobium infection. We then identify high-confidence nodulation gene candidates based on their specific expression in these populations, pinpointing genes stably associated with infection across genotypes and time points. We show that one of these, which we name SYMRKL1, encodes a protein with an ectodomain predicted to be nearly identical to that of SYMRK and is required for normal infection thread formation. Our work disentangles cellular processes and transcriptional modules that were previously confounded due to lack of cellular resolution, providing a more detailed understanding of symbiotic interactions.
KW - Rhizobium/metabolism
KW - Root Nodules, Plant/metabolism
KW - Lotus/metabolism
KW - Plant Proteins/genetics
KW - Phenotype
KW - Symbiosis/genetics
KW - Single-Cell Analysis
KW - Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
KW - Plant Roots/metabolism
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85175971685&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41467-023-42911-1
DO - 10.1038/s41467-023-42911-1
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 37935666
SN - 2041-1723
VL - 14
JO - Nature Communications
JF - Nature Communications
IS - 1
M1 - 7171
ER -