Phosphorylation of the alpha-I motif in SYMRK drives root nodule organogenesis

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Abstract

Symbiosis receptor-like kinase SYMRK is required for root nodule symbiosis between legume plants and nitrogen-fixing bacteria. To understand symbiotic signaling from SYMRK, we determined the crystal structure to 1.95 Å and mapped the phosphorylation sites onto the intracellular domain. We identified four serine residues in a conserved "alpha-I" motif, located on the border between the kinase core domain and the flexible C-terminal tail, that, when phosphorylated, drives organogenesis. Substituting the four serines with alanines abolished symbiotic signaling, while substituting them with phosphorylation-mimicking aspartates induced the formation of spontaneous nodules in the absence of bacteria. These findings show that the signaling pathway controlling root nodule organogenesis is mediated by SYMRK phosphorylation, which may help when engineering this trait into non-legume plants.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere2311522121
JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)
Volume121
Issue8
Pages (from-to)e2311522121
ISSN0027-8424
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 20 Feb 2024

Keywords

  • phosphorylation
  • plant signaling
  • plant–microbe interaction
  • root nodule symbiosis
  • SYMRK
  • Plant Proteins/metabolism
  • Phosphorylation
  • Symbiosis/genetics
  • Phosphotransferases/metabolism
  • Root Nodules, Plant/metabolism
  • Fabaceae/metabolism
  • Plant Root Nodulation
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant

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