Biology and Medicine

The pea (Pisum sativum L) selectivity towards nitrogen-fixing microsymbiont caused by receptorlike kinase gene LykX

2^nd World Congress on Beneficial Microbes: Food, Pharma, Aqua & Beverages Industry

September 22-24, 2016 Phoenix, USA

Anton Sulima, Vladimir Zhukov, Alexey Borisov and Igor Tikhonovich

All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology, Russia
Saint-Petersburg State University, Russia

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: Biol Med (Aligarh)

Abstract:

Specificity of the symbiosis between legume plants and nodule bacteria (rhizobia) is based on ligand-receptor interactions, during which the bacterial signal molecules (Nod-factors) are recognized by plant receptor kinases. Within the pea species, several genotypes originating from Middle East are different in their ability to perceive the Nod-factor structure, which results in their increased selectivity for bacterial symbionts. This trait is controlled by plant gene Sym2 with unknown function. We have identified a new pea gene LykX which encodes a receptor-like kinase potentially capable of binding Nod-factor. There are two specific alleles of LykX leading to amino acid substitutions in corresponding protein which correlate with the high selectivity in legume-rhizobial symbiosis. Thus, LykX is currently considered the most likely candidate for the Sym2. For a further description of the role of LykX in symbiosis we performed the TILLING analysis on pea mutant collection (in collaboration with Dr. Marion Dalmais, INRA-URGV, France). 8 mutant families with mutations presumably disrupting the function of LykX protein (according to the in silico prediction; SIFT program) were identified. Plants in each family have shown the decreased number of nodules along with significantly increased number of infection attempts. To decisively confirm the role of LykX, we intend to conduct the allelism test between mutant LykX alleles and wild Sym2 varieties.

Biography :

Anton Sulima is currently a PhD student in All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology, Russia. His scientific interests lie in the field of initial stages of legume-rhizobial symbiosis and recognition of symbiotic partners. He has been a co-author of several papers published in reputed journals and has participated in a number of international conferences.

Email: sulan555@mail.ru