Abstract
Nitrogen-fixing nodule symbiosis is an ecologically and economically important trait in legumes and some related species. A critical step in the evolution of nodulation is the recruitment of NODULE INCEPTION (NIN); a homolog of the nitrate-sensing NIN-LIKE PROTEIN (NLP) transcription factors. However, whether adaptations have occurred in the NIN protein upon its recruitment in symbiosis remains elusive. Here we show that non-symbiotic NIN orthologs can function in intracellular infection and even nodule initiation, indicating that these properties of NIN predate the evolution of nodulation. Concurrent with the evolution of nodulation, symbiotic NIN proteins were optimized for their role in symbiosis by acquiring nitrate independent functionality, including constitutive nuclear localization. A single amino acid substitution in the non-symbiotic Arabidopsis AtNLP2 enhances its nuclear localization under low nitrate conditions, making it functionally comparable to the symbiotic Parasponia PanNIN. Our study provides insight in the evolutionary trajectory and molecular adaptation that allowed NIN to function as the central regulator of nitrogen-fixing nodule symbiosis.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Non-symbiotic NIN orthologs functioned in intracellular infection.
Verbatim
e0“non-symbiotic NIN orthologs can function in intracellular infection”
Claim · model-written summary
Non-symbiotic NIN orthologs could initiate nodules.
Verbatim
e0“non-symbiotic NIN orthologs can function in intracellular infection and even nodule initiation”
t0“root nodule symbiosis”
e1“Nitrogen-fixing nodule symbiosis is an ecologically and economically important trait in legumes and some related species”
Claim · model-written summary
Symbiotic NIN proteins acquired nitrate-independent functionality.
Verbatim
e0“symbiotic NIN proteins were optimized for their role in symbiosis by acquiring nitrate independent functionality”
t0“root nodule symbiosis”
e1“Nitrogen-fixing nodule symbiosis is an ecologically and economically important trait in legumes and some related species”
Claim · model-written summary
Symbiotic NIN proteins acquired constitutive nuclear localization.
Verbatim
e0“including constitutive nuclear localization”
t0“root nodule symbiosis”
e1“Nitrogen-fixing nodule symbiosis is an ecologically and economically important trait in legumes and some related species”
Claim · model-written summary
A single amino acid substitution enhanced Arabidopsis AtNLP2 nuclear localization under low nitrate.
- Taxon
- Arabidopsis
Arabidopsise0 - Treatment
- A single amino acid substitutione0
- Gene
- Arabidopsis AtNLP2e0
- Outcome
- nuclear localizatione0
- Direction
- enhancese0
- Qualifier
- under low nitrate conditionse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“A single amino acid substitution in the non-symbiotic Arabidopsis AtNLP2 enhances its nuclear localization under low nitrate conditions”
Claim · model-written summary
Substituted AtNLP2 became functionally comparable to Parasponia PanNIN.
- Taxon
- ParasponiaParasponiae0
- Gene
- PanNINe0
- Outcome
- functionally comparablee0
Verbatim
e0“making it functionally comparable to the symbiotic Parasponia PanNIN”