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PLANTS INTERACTING WITH OTHER ORGANISMS

A Positive Regulatory Role for LjERF1 in the Nodulation Process Is Revealed by Systematic Analysis of Nodule-Associated Transcription Factors of Lotus japonicus^1,[W]

Department of Plant Genome Research, Kazusa DNA Research Institute, Kisarazu, Chiba 292–0818, Japan (E.A., Y.S., S.T., S.S.); and National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305–8602, Japan (H.K.)

We have used reverse genetics to identify genes involved in legume-rhizobium symbiosis in Lotus japonicus. We obtained the sequences of 20 putative transcription factors from previously reported large-scale transcriptome data. The transcription factors were classified according to their DNA binding domains and patterns of expression during the nodulation process. We identified two homologues of Medicago truncatula MtHAP2-1, which encodes a CCAAT-binding protein and has been shown to play a role in nodulation. The functions of the remaining genes in the nodulation process have not been reported. Seven genes were found to encode proteins with AP2-EREBP domains, six of which were similar to proteins that have been implicated in ethylene and/or jasmonic acid signal transduction and defense gene regulation in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). We identified a gene, LjERF1, that is most similar to Arabidopsis ERF1, which is up-regulated by ethylene and jasmonic acid and activates downstream defense genes. LjERF1 showed the same pattern of up-regulation in roots as Arabidopsis ERF1. The nodulation phenotype of roots that overexpressed LjERF1 or inhibited LjERF1 expression using an RNA interference construct indicated that this gene functions as a positive regulator of nodulation. We propose that LjERF1 functions as a key regulator of successful infection of L. japonicus by Mesorhizobium loti.

² Present address: Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Gene Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305–8572, Japan.

³ Present address: National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305–8602, Japan.

The author 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) is: Erika Asamizu (asamizu{at}gene.tsukuba.ac.jp).

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

www.plantphysiol.org/cgi/doi/10.1104/pp.108.118141

^* Corresponding author; e-mail asamizu{at}gene.tsukuba.ac.jp.

Received February 19, 2008; accepted June 17, 2008; published June 20, 2008.

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