Plant symbiosis articles within Nature Communications

Featured

• Article
  02 September 2016 | Open Access

  DELLA-mediated gibberellin signalling regulates Nod factor signalling and rhizobial infection

  Bacterial Nod Factors (NF) regulate the formation of nitrogen fixing symbiotic nodules on legume roots. Here, the authors show that gibberellins act via DELLA proteins to regulate nodulation and propose that DELLA acts with NSP2 and NF-YA1 as a transcriptional co-activator of ERN1-dependent NF signalling.

  • Camille Fonouni-Farde
  • , Sovanna Tan
  •  & Anouck Diet

• Article
  12 August 2016 | Open Access

  DELLA proteins are common components of symbiotic rhizobial and mycorrhizal signalling pathways

  Symbiotic associations between legumes and nitrogen-fixing bacteria are regulated by a CCaMK-IPD3 protein complex which promotes nodule initiation. Here, Jin et al. propose that DELLA proteins positively regulate nodulation by enhancing phosphorylation of IPD3 and acting as a positive regulator of transcription.

  • Yue Jin
  • , Huan Liu
  •  & Ertao Wang

• Article
  06 May 2016 | Open Access

  Survival trade-offs in plant roots during colonization by closely related beneficial and pathogenic fungi

  Colletotrichum tofieldiae is a beneficial root endophyte, whereas the closely related C. incanumis pathogenic. Here the authors compare the genomes and transcriptomes during host plant interaction and demonstrate that the host plant can respond differently to the beneficial endophyte according to phosphate status.

  • Stéphane Hacquard
  • , Barbara Kracher
  •  & Richard J. O’Connell

• Article
  23 July 2015 | Open Access

  Conserved nematode signalling molecules elicit plant defenses and pathogen resistance

  Plants are able to induce defense responses following recognition of certain pathogen derived molecules at the cell surface. Here, Manosalvaet al. show that plants respond to ascarosides, a conserved class of nematode pheromones, providing the first example of plant recognition of an animal-derived signalling molecule.

  • Patricia Manosalva
  • , Murli Manohar
  •  & Daniel F. Klessig

• Article | 30 October 2014

  Covalently linked hopanoid-lipid A improves outer-membrane resistance of a Bradyrhizobium symbiont of legumes

  Lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria play key roles in the microbial interactions with animals and plants. Here the authors identify a unique LPS with a covalently-attached hopanoid moiety that contributes to membrane stability in a bacterial symbiont of legumes.

  • Alba Silipo
  • , Giuseppe Vitiello
  •  & Antonio Molinaro

• Article
  20 October 2014 | Open Access

  Assembly of complex plant–fungus networks

  Ecological communities consist of complex networks of interacting species whose linkages may be difficult to follow. Using next-generation sequencing, Toju et al.uncover the architecture of a plant-fungus network and find clear structural differences when compared with other communities.

  • Hirokazu Toju
  • , Paulo R. Guimarães
  •  & John N. Thompson

• Article
  10 June 2014 | Open Access

  A single evolutionary innovation drives the deep evolution of symbiotic N₂-fixation in angiosperms

  Symbiotic associations are widespread, yet their evolutionary histories remain poorly understood. Here, Werner et. al.show a single evolutionary innovation driving symbiotic nitrogen fixation, followed by multiple gains and losses of the symbiosis and the emergence of groups with stable nitrogen fixers.

  • Gijsbert D. A. Werner
  • , William K. Cornwell
  •  & E. Toby Kiers

• Article | 22 May 2014

  High specificity in plant leaf metabolic responses to arbuscular mycorrhiza

  Plant species share a core metabolome, however the extent to which metabolic responses to environmental cues are also conserved remains unclear. Schweiger et al.describe shifts in the leaf metabolomes of five plant species during mycorrhizal fungal infection, and uncover high species-specificity.

  • Rabea Schweiger
  • , Markus C. Baier
  •  & Caroline Müller

• Article | 12 August 2013

  Root-derived CLE glycopeptides control nodulation by direct binding to HAR1 receptor kinase

  Symbiotic bacteria form nodules with plant roots and this is controlled by CLE-RS genes found in the plant. In this study, the CLE-RS2gene product is shown to be a glycopeptide that can travel from the roots to the shoot of plants and binds to the receptor kinase HAR1.

  • Satoru Okamoto
  • , Hidefumi Shinohara
  •  & Masayoshi Kawaguchi

• Article
  14 June 2011 | Open Access

  Microorganisms from aphid honeydew attract and enhance the efficacy of natural enemies

  In this study, a bacterium is identified in the honeydew of aphids, which produces volatile chemicals and attracts hoverflies. The findings could aid the development of pest control systems for aphids.

  • Pascal D. Leroy
  • , Ahmed Sabri
  •  & Eric Haubruge

• Article | 02 November 2010

  Mutualistic mycorrhiza-like symbiosis in the most ancient group of land plants

  Symbiotic fungi are thought to have assisted plants in their colonization of the land. In this study, it is shown that mycorrhizal fungi symbiosis with liverwort, a member of an ancient clade of land plants, promotes photosynthetic carbon uptake and growth, supporting the role of fungi in 'the greening of the Earth'.

  • Claire P. Humphreys
  • , Peter J. Franks
  •  & David J. Beerling

• Review Article | 27 July 2010

  Mechanisms underlying beneficial plant–fungus interactions in mycorrhizal symbiosis

  Many of the worlds' plants and trees have a symbiotic relationship with micorrhizal fungi, which associate with their roots. This review describes how new technologies have aided our understanding of the mechanisms that regulate these plant–fungi interactions.

  • Paola Bonfante
  •  & Andrea Genre