title: Transcript analysis of early nodulation events in Medicago truncatula.
abstract: Within the first 72 h of the interaction between rhizobia and their host plants, nodule primordium induction and infection occur. We predicted that transcription profiling of early stages of the symbiosis between Medicago truncatula roots and Sinorhizobium meliloti would identify regulated plant genes that likely condition key events in nodule initiation. Therefore, using a microarray with about 6,000 cDNAs, we compared transcripts from inoculated and uninoculated roots corresponding to defined stages between 1 and 72 h post inoculation (hpi). Hundreds of genes of both known and unknown function were significantly regulated at these time points. Four stages of the interaction were recognized based on gene expression profiles, and potential marker genes for these stages were identified. Some genes that were regulated differentially during stages I (1 hpi) and II (6-12 hpi) of the interaction belong to families encoding proteins involved in calcium transport and binding, reactive oxygen metabolism, and cytoskeleton and cell wall functions. Genes involved in cell proliferation were found to be up-regulated during stages III (24-48 hpi) and IV (72 hpi). Many genes that are homologs of defense response genes were up-regulated during stage I but down-regulated later, likely facilitating infection thread progression into the root cortex. Additionally, genes putatively involved in signal transduction and transcriptional regulation were found to be differentially regulated in the inoculated roots at each time point. The findings shed light on the complexity of coordinated gene regulation and will be useful for continued dissection of the early steps in symbiosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA.
authors.forename: Dasharath Prasad
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Lohar
authors.forename: Natalya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sharopova
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Endre
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Peñuela
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Samac
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Town
authors.forename: Kevin A T
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Silverstein
authors.forename: Kathryn A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: VandenBosch
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000378:metabolism; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D046913:Medicago truncatula / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D005810:Multigene Family; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D016962:Sinorhizobium meliloti / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D013559:Symbiosis / Q000235:genetics; D013997:Time Factors; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018749:RNA, Plant