NIN-like protein transcription factors regulate leghemoglobin genes in legume nodules
Suyu Jiang, Marie‐Françoise Jardinaud, Jin‐Peng Gao, Yann Pécrix, Jiangqi Wen, Kirankumar S. Mysore, Ping Xu, Carmen Sánchez‐Cañizares, Yiting Ruan, Qiujiu Li, Meijun Zhu, Fuyu Li, Ertao Wang, Phillip S. Poole, Pascal Gamas, Jeremy D. Murray
Abstract
Nodulation regulation Legumes convert atmospheric nitrogen into biologically useful ammonium with the help of symbiotic bacteria housed in root nodules. Much of nodule development is controlled by the transcription factor NODULE INCEPTION (NIN). Feng et al . show that NIN is proteolytically processed to release a fragment that regulates the later stages of nodulation when the nodules acquire nitrogen-fixing capability. In related work, Jiang et al . identified members of the NIN-like protein (NLP) transcription factor family as being regulators of leghemoglobin expression acting through an unusual promotor motif shared across legumes. —PJH