Mobile gene clusters and coexpressed plant-rhizobium pathways drive partner quality variation in symbiosis.

ABSTRACT: Plant-microbe symbioses such as the legume-rhizobium mutualism are vital in the web of ecological relationships within both natural and managed ecosystems, influencing primary productivity, crop yield, and ecosystem services. The outcome of these interactions for plant hosts varies quantitatively and can range from highly beneficial to even detrimental depending on natural genetic variation in microbial symbionts. Here, we take a systems genetics approach, harnessing the genetic diversity present in wild rhizobial populations to predict genes and molecular pathways crucial in determining partner quality, i.e., the benefits of symbiosis for legume hosts. We combine traits, dual-RNAseq of both partners from active nodules, pangenomics/pantranscriptomics, and Weighted Gene Co-expression Netwo

SUBMITTER: Riaz MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12337268 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature