Adaptive evolution of the symbiotic gene NORK is not correlated with shifts of rhizobial specificity in the genus Medicago.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The NODULATION RECEPTOR KINASE (NORK) gene encodes a Leucine-Rich Repeat (LRR)-containing receptor-like protein and controls the infection by symbiotic rhizobia and endomycorrhizal fungi in Legumes. The occurrence of numerous amino acid changes driven by directional selection has been reported in this gene, using a limited number of messenger RNA sequences, but the functional reason of these changes remains obscure. The Medicago genus, where changes in rhizobial associations have been previously examined, is a good model to test whether the evolution of NORK is influenced by rhizobial interactions.

Results

We sequenced a region of 3610 nucleotides (encoding a 392 amino acid-long region of the NORK protein) in 32 Medicago species. We confirm that positive selection

SUBMITTER: De Mita S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2247475 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature