Computational complementation: a modelling approach to study signalling mechanisms during legume autoregulation of nodulation.
Autoregulation of nodulation (AON) is a long-distance signalling regulatory system maintaining the balance of symbiotic nodulation in legume plants. However, the intricacy of internal signalling and absence of flux and biochemical data, are a bottleneck for investigation of AON. To address this, a new computational modelling approach called "Computational Complementation" has been developed. The main idea is to use functional-structural modelling to complement the deficiency of an empirical model of a loss-of-function (non-AON) mutant with hypothetical AON mechanisms. If computational complementation demonstrates a phenotype similar to the wild-type plant, the signalling hypothesis would be suggested as "reasonable". Our initial case for application of this approach was to test whether or not wild-type soybean cotyledons provide the shoot-derived inhibitor (SDI) to regulate nodule progression. We predicted by computational complementation that the cotyledon is part of the shoot in terms of AON and that it produces the SDI signal, a result that was confirmed by reciprocal epicotyl-and-hypocotyl grafting in a real-plant experiment. This application demonstrates the feasibility of computational complementation and shows its usefulness for applications where real-plant experimentation is either difficult or impossible.
Han
Liqi
L
ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative Legume Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Hanan
Jim
J
Gresshoff
Peter M
PM
D003198:Computer Simulation; D018548:Cotyledon / Q000378:metabolism; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test / Q000379:methods*; D008954:Models, Biological; D018521:Plant Physiological Phenomena; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000378:metabolism; D053204:Root Nodules, Plant / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D030262:Soybean Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D013025:Glycine max / Q000235:genetics
D030262:Soybean Proteins