Ls. Smith et Sr. Long, REQUIREMENTS FOR SYRM AND NODD GENES IN THE NODULATION OF MEDICAGO-TRUNCATULA BY RHIZOBIUM-MELILOTI-1021, Molecular plant-microbe interactions, 11(9), 1998, pp. 937-940
Medicago truncatula, a relative of alfalfa (Medicago sativa), has been
proposed as a model plant system for study of its interaction with th
e symbiont Rhizobium meliloti. Differences in M. truncatula and alfalf
a may result in distinct symbiosis behaviors for the two hosts when in
association with wild-type or mutant bacterial strains. We have found
that M. truncatula has a more stringent requirement for syrM and nodD
3 than is seen in alfalfa, In particular, the lack of syrM is associat
ed with arrested nodule development.