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PLANTS INTERACTING WITH OTHER ORGANISMS

Aging in Legume Symbiosis. A Molecular View on Nodule Senescence in Medicago truncatula^1,[W]

Department of Plant Systems Biology, Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology, Ghent University, B–9052 Gent, Belgium (W.V.d.V., J.C.P.G., A.D.K., R.D.R., S.R., M.H., S.G.); and Institut des Sciences du Végétal, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, F–91198 Gif-sur-Yvette cedex, France (N.M., P.M., E.K.)

Rhizobia reside as symbiosomes in the infected cells of legume nodules to fix atmospheric nitrogen. The symbiotic relation is strictly controlled, lasts for some time, but eventually leads to nodule senescence. We present a comprehensive transcriptomics study to understand the onset of nodule senescence in the legume Medicago truncatula. Distinct developmental stages with characteristic gene expression were delineated during which the two symbiotic partners were degraded consecutively, marking the switch in nodule tissue status from carbon sink to general nutrient source. Cluster analysis discriminated an early expression group that harbored regulatory genes that might be primary tools to interfere with pod filling-related or stress-induced nodule senescence, ultimately causing prolonged nitrogen fixation. Interestingly, the transcriptomes of nodule and leaf senescence had a high degree of overlap, arguing for the recruitment of similar pathways.

² These authors contributed equally to the paper.

³ Present address: Institut des Sciences du Végétal, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Avenue de la Terrasse, F–91198 Gif-sur-Yvette cedex, France.

The authors responsible for distribution of materials integral to the findings presented in this article in accordance with the policy described in the Instructions for Authors (www.plantphysiol.org) are: Sofie Goormachtig (sofie.goormachtig{at}psb.ugent.be) and Marcelle Holsters (marcelle.holsters{at}psb.ugent.be).

^[W] The online version of this article contains Web-only data.

Article, publication date, and citation information can be found at www.plantphysiol.org/cgi/doi/10.1104/pp.106.078691.

^* Corresponding author; e-mail marcelle.holsters{at}psb.ugent.be; fax 32–9–3313809.

Received February 3, 2006; returned for revision March 29, 2006; accepted April 1, 2006.

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