Evolution of NIN and NIN-like Genes in Relation to Nodule Symbiosis
1
Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Department of Plant Sciences, Graduate School Experimental Plant Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
2
Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Tree Breeding by Molecular Design, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Genes 2020, 11(7), 777; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes11070777
Received: 27 May 2020
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Revised: 26 June 2020
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Accepted: 9 July 2020
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Published: 11 July 2020
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Evolution of Root Nodule Symbioses)
Legumes and actinorhizal plants are capable of forming root nodules symbiosis with rhizobia and Frankia bacteria. All these nodulating species belong to the nitrogen fixation clade. Most likely, nodulation evolved once in the last common ancestor of this clade. NIN (NODULE INCEPTION) is a transcription factor that is essential for nodulation in all studied species. Therefore, it seems probable that it was recruited at the start when nodulation evolved. NIN is the founding member of the NIN-like protein (NLP) family. It arose by duplication, and this occurred before nodulation evolved. Therefore, several plant species outside the nitrogen fixation clade have NLP(s), which is orthologous to NIN. In this review, we discuss how NIN has diverged from the ancestral NLP, what minimal changes would have been essential for it to become a key transcription controlling nodulation, and which adaptations might have evolved later.
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Keywords:
NIN (NODULE INCEPTION); NLP (NIN-like Proteins); evolution; root nodule symbiosis; legume; actinorhizal-like plants
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MDPI and ACS Style
Liu, J.; Bisseling, T. Evolution of NIN and NIN-like Genes in Relation to Nodule Symbiosis. Genes 2020, 11, 777. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes11070777
AMA Style
Liu J, Bisseling T. Evolution of NIN and NIN-like Genes in Relation to Nodule Symbiosis. Genes. 2020; 11(7):777. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes11070777
Chicago/Turabian StyleLiu, Jieyu, and Ton Bisseling. 2020. "Evolution of NIN and NIN-like Genes in Relation to Nodule Symbiosis" Genes 11, no. 7: 777. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes11070777
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