IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v16y2025i1d10.1038_s41467-025-62083-4.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A legume cellulase required for rhizobial infection and colonization in root nodule symbiosis

Author

Listed:
  • Li Zhao

    (University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Chuan-Ya Ji

    (University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Jeremy D. Murray

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Cheng-Wu Liu

    (University of Science and Technology of China)

Abstract

In root nodule symbiosis, the accommodation of rhizobia in legumes necessitates extensive plant cell wall remodeling to build infection threads (ITs) for rhizobia travelling into nodules, and to subsequently release rhizobia from ITs to form nitrogen fixing symbiosomes. The molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying these processes are obscure. Here we report that Medicago truncatula Glycoside Hydrolase 9C2 (GH9C2) is required for both rhizobial infection and nodule colonization. The gh9c2–1 mutant exhibits incompetent nodules with disorganized ITs and defective rhizobial release, likely due to cellulose accumulation. GH9C2 localizes to IT wall and rhizobial release sites, and cellulase activity is indispensable for GH9C2 function. CBM49 domain of GH9C2 is required for rhizobial infection but not for rhizobial release. Furthermore, GH9C1and NPL act synergistically with GH9C2 in rhizobial infection. Our finding reveals transient IT-derived structures, the rhizobial release foci and uncovers a mechanism mediated by host cellulases for the symbiotic colonization by rhizobia.

Suggested Citation

  • Li Zhao & Chuan-Ya Ji & Jeremy D. Murray & Cheng-Wu Liu, 2025. "A legume cellulase required for rhizobial infection and colonization in root nodule symbiosis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-19, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-62083-4
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-62083-4
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-62083-4
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-025-62083-4?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cheng-Wu Liu & Andrew Breakspear & Nicola Stacey & Kim Findlay & Jin Nakashima & Karunakaran Ramakrishnan & Miaoxia Liu & Fang Xie & Gabriella Endre & Fernanda Carvalho-Niebel & Giles E. D. Oldroyd & , 2019. "A protein complex required for polar growth of rhizobial infection threads," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-17, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Penelope L. Lindsay & Sergey Ivanov & Nathan Pumplin & Xinchun Zhang & Maria J. Harrison, 2022. "Distinct ankyrin repeat subdomains control VAPYRIN locations and intracellular accommodation functions during arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-15, December.
    2. Ambre Guillory & Joëlle Fournier & Audrey Kelner & Karen Hobecker & Marie-Christine Auriac & Lisa Frances & Anaïs Delers & Léa Pedinotti & Aurélie Ru & Jean Keller & Pierre-Marc Delaux & Caroline Gutj, 2024. "Annexin- and calcium-regulated priming of legume root cells for endosymbiotic infection," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-21, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-62083-4. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.