title: Common and not so common symbiotic entry.
abstract: Great advances have been made in our understanding of the host plant's common symbiosis functions, which in legumes mediate intracellular accommodation of both nitrogen-fixing bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) fungi. However, it has become apparent that additional plant genes are required specifically for bacterial entry inside the host root. In this opinion article, we consider Lotus japonicus nap1 and pir1 symbiotic mutants within the context of other deleterious mutations that impair an intracellular accommodation of bacteria but have no impact on the colonization of roots by AM fungi. We highlight a clear delineation of early signaling events during bacterial versus AM symbioses while suggesting a more intricate origin of the plant's ability for intracellular accommodation of bacteria.
authors.affiliation: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Southern Crop Protection and Food Research Centre, London, Ontario NV5 4T3, Canada.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Held
authors.forename: Md Shakhawat
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Hossain
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yokota
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bonfante
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stougaard
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Szczyglowski
mesh_terms: D000070116:Lotus / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology*; D046913:Medicago truncatula / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology / Q000502:physiology; D009154:Mutation; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000502:physiology; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000382:microbiology; D013559:Symbiosis