Abstract
Plants survive in the environment amidst a vast amount of microorganisms, including pathogenic bacteria and fungi. To prevent invasions by harmful microorganisms, plants have evolved various defense systems. Recognition of PAMPs (pathogen-associated molecular pattern) or MAMPs (microbe-associated molecular pattern) is the crucial step to induce defense in plants. For example, chitin is the component of fungal cell wall and also known as the elicitor of defense in various plant species.
Legumes are able to establish a symbiotic interaction with soil-borne bacteria called rhizobia. Bacterial symbiotic signals, Nod factors (NFs), basically consist of modified chitin oligomer and play the crucial role to initiate the plant symbiotic processes. Recently, it have been revealed that both putative Nod factor receptor (NFR1 in Lotus japonicus) and chitin receptor (AtCERK1 in Arabidopsis thaliana) are similar in structure.
Here, we compare the Nod factor signaling and chitin signaling in Lotus japonicus and discuss the molecular evolution of Nod Factor receptor, NFR1.
