- Legumes thrive in low-nitrogen environments with the help of rhizobia, bacteria that convert atmospheric nitrogen into a usable form for plants.
- Recent research on Lotus japonicus reveals that rhythmic gene expression every six hours regulates the distribution of root nodules in leguminous plants.
- The plant hormone cytokinin is essential for maintaining this gene expression rhythm and plays a crucial role in root nodule symbiosis.
- Mutants of a cytokinin receptor LHK1 were used to study cytokinin’s role in gene expression periodicity, showing its importance in ensuring appropriate infection thread distribution.
- Understanding the periodic responses mediated by plant hormones can deepen our understanding of root nodule symbiosis and advance research on spatial control of organ development.
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Pathology & Lab Medicine, Genetics, Microbiology