Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Ethylene Biosynthesis Shape Infection and Nodule Initiation in Medicago Truncatula

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ID: 316880
2026
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Abstract
Ethylene is a well-established negative regulator of nodulation, yet how ethylene biosynthesis and perception are spatially coordinated during early symbiotic signalling remains unresolved. Here, we investigate the dynamics of ethylene responses in Medicago (Medicago truncatula) using transcriptomics, promoter-reporter analyses, loss-of-function approaches and a synthetic reporter. We show that the activity of the ethylene-responsive EBSn reporter shifts from inner root tissues under non-symbiotic conditions to the outer cortex and epidermis following rhizobial inoculation, revealing a spatial reprogramming of ethylene signalling. Among the eight Medicago 1-AMINOCYCLOPROPANE-1-CARBOXYLIC ACID SYNTHASE (ACS) genes, MtACS3 is induced in outer root cell layers upon rhizobia application, while MtACS10 is repressed in the inner cortex and pericycle, mirroring the shift in ethylene perception. Functional analysis demonstrates that MtACS10 restricts nodule initiation, whereas MtACS3 modulates the number of infection threads, prevents nodule clustering, and contributes to the radial positioning of nodule primordia. Rhizobial induced ectopic ACS expression in the root interior counteracts MtACS10 repression and blocks nodulation, highlighting the requirement for spatially confined downregulation of ethylene biosynthesis. Together, these findings establish a framework in which localized shifts in ethylene biosynthesis, mediated by distinct Medicago ACS genes, balance infection and organogenesis while co-defining the spatial limits of the root susceptible zone.
Reference Key
openalex_W7164213172 Use this key to autocite in the manuscript while using SciMatic Manuscript Manager or Thesis Manager
Authors Sophia Müller, Thijs Stegmann, Kelvin Adema, Rens Holmer, Amber van Seters, Robin van Velzen, Olga Kulikova, Tristan Wijsman, Joel Klein, Josefina‐Patricia Fernandez‐Moreno, Anna N. Stepanova, José M. Alonso, Henk Franssen, Estíbaliz Larrainzar, Arjan van Zeijl, Wouter Kohlen
Journal The Plant cell
Year 2026
DOI
10.1093/plcell/koag173
URL
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