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Nature 425, 637-640 (9 October 2003) | doi:10.1038/nature02045; Received 16 July 2003; Accepted 11 September 2003

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A receptor kinase gene of the LysM type is involved in legumeperception of rhizobial signals

Esben Bjørn Madsen1, Lene Heegaard Madsen1, Simona Radutoiu1, Magdalena Olbryt1, Magdalena Rakwalska1, Krzysztof Szczyglowski2, Shusei Sato3, Takakazu Kaneko3, Satoshi Tabata3, Niels Sandal1 & Jens Stougaard1

  1. Laboratory of Gene Expression, Department of Molecular Biology, University of Aarhus, Gustav Wieds Vej 10, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
  2. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, SCPFRC, 1391 Sandford Street, London, Ontario NV5 4T3, Canada
  3. Kazusa DNA Research Institute, Kisarazu, Chiba, 292-0812, Japan

Correspondence to: Jens Stougaard1 Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to J.S. (Email: stougaard@mb.au.dk).

The sequences for the L. japonicus ecotype Gifu NFR5 gene and mRNA are deposited in the EMBL database under accession numbers AJ575254 and AJ575255; the Pisum sativum SYM10 gene and mRNA sequences are deposited under accession numbers AJ575250 cv. Alaska, AJ575251 cv. Frisson, AJ575252 cv. Sparkle and AJ575253 cv. Finale. Sequences of MG20 TAC clones are deposited in GenBank under accession numbers LjT18J10a AP006538, LjT18J10b AP006539, LjT01C03 AP006540, LjB06D23 AP006541 and LjT13I23 AP006542.

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Plants belonging to the legume family develop nitrogen-fixing root nodules in symbiosis with bacteria commonly known as rhizobia. The legume host encodes all of the functions necessary to build the specialized symbiotic organ, the nodule, but the process is elicited by the bacteria1, 2, 3. Molecular communication initiates the interaction, and signals, usually flavones, secreted by the legume root induce the bacteria to produce a lipochitin-oligosaccharide signal molecule (Nod-factor), which in turn triggers the plant organogenic process4, 5, 6, 7. An important determinant of bacterial host specificity is the structure of the Nod-factor, suggesting that a plant receptor is involved in signal perception and signal transduction initiating the plant developmental response8, 9. Here we describe the cloning of a putative Nod-factor receptor kinase gene (NFR5) from Lotus japonicus. NFR5 is essential for Nod-factor perception and encodes an unusual transmembrane serine/threonine receptor-like kinase required for the earliest detectable plant responses to bacteria and Nod-factor. The extracellular domain of the putative receptor has three modules with similarity to LysM domains known from peptidoglycan-binding proteins and chitinases. Together with an atypical kinase domain structure this characterizes an unusual receptor-like kinase.

  1. Laboratory of Gene Expression, Department of Molecular Biology, University of Aarhus, Gustav Wieds Vej 10, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
  2. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, SCPFRC, 1391 Sandford Street, London, Ontario NV5 4T3, Canada
  3. Kazusa DNA Research Institute, Kisarazu, Chiba, 292-0812, Japan

Correspondence to: Jens Stougaard1 Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to J.S. (Email: stougaard@mb.au.dk).

The sequences for the L. japonicus ecotype Gifu NFR5 gene and mRNA are deposited in the EMBL database under accession numbers AJ575254 and AJ575255; the Pisum sativum SYM10 gene and mRNA sequences are deposited under accession numbers AJ575250 cv. Alaska, AJ575251 cv. Frisson, AJ575252 cv. Sparkle and AJ575253 cv. Finale. Sequences of MG20 TAC clones are deposited in GenBank under accession numbers LjT18J10a AP006538, LjT18J10b AP006539, LjT01C03 AP006540, LjB06D23 AP006541 and LjT13I23 AP006542.