Legume nodule organogenesis

Bacteria of the family Rhizobiaceae and leguminous plants have the ability to establish a symbiosis in which the bacteria fix dinitrogen within a novel plant organ, the root nodule, The development of the root nodule involves signal exchange between the bacterial symbionts and their plant hosts, Flavonoids produced by the plant trigger the induction of bacterial nodulation genes that encode proteins involved in production and transport of specific lipochitin signal molecules that initiate nodule organogenesis, Several discoveries regarding the molecular mechanisms of nodule organogenesis have recently been made, with implications for understanding Nod-signal action, and bringing into focus possibilities such as the identification of Nod-signal receptors and investigations into putative conserved lipo-chitin developmental regulators in both legumes and non-legumes.