Phosphorylation of the alpha-I motif in SYMRK drives root nodule organogenesis

Symbiosis receptor-like kinase SYMRK is required for root nodule symbiosis between legume plants and nitrogen-fixing bacteria. To understand symbiotic signaling from SYMRK, we determined the crystal structure to 1.95 Å and mapped the phosphorylation sites onto the intracellular domain. We identified...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 2024-02, Vol.121 (8), p.e2311522121-e2311522121
Main Authors: Abel, Nikolaj B, Nørgaard, Malita M M, Hansen, Simon B, Gysel, Kira, Díez, Ignacio Arribas, Jensen, Ole N, Stougaard, Jens, Andersen, Kasper R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aspartates
Bacteria
Biological Sciences
Crystal structure
Fabaceae - metabolism
Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
Kinases
Legumes
Nitrogen fixation
Nitrogen-fixing bacteria
Nitrogenation
Nodules
Organogenesis
Phosphorylation
Phosphotransferases - metabolism
Plant Proteins - metabolism
Plant Root Nodulation
Root Nodules, Plant - metabolism
Signal transduction
Symbiosis
Symbiosis - genetics
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Summary:Symbiosis receptor-like kinase SYMRK is required for root nodule symbiosis between legume plants and nitrogen-fixing bacteria. To understand symbiotic signaling from SYMRK, we determined the crystal structure to 1.95 Å and mapped the phosphorylation sites onto the intracellular domain. We identified four serine residues in a conserved "alpha-I" motif, located on the border between the kinase core domain and the flexible C-terminal tail, that, when phosphorylated, drives organogenesis. Substituting the four serines with alanines abolished symbiotic signaling, while substituting them with phosphorylation-mimicking aspartates induced the formation of spontaneous nodules in the absence of bacteria. These findings show that the signaling pathway controlling root nodule organogenesis is mediated by SYMRK phosphorylation, which may help when engineering this trait into non-legume plants.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.2311522121