The NF-YC1 interacting protein SIN1, a member of the GRAS family, is required for nodule organogenesis, infection thread progression and lateral root growth.

BATTAGLIA M, RÍPODAS C (AMBOS AUTORES CONTRIBUYEN DE IGUAL FORMA); CLUA J; BAUDIN M ; NIEBEL A ; AGUILAR MO ; ZANETTI ME ; AGUILAR M, ZANETTI ME, BLANCO FA

PLANT PHYSIOLOGY.

AMER SOC PLANT BIOLOGISTS

Lugar: Rockville; Año: 2014

0032-0889

A C subunit of the heterotrimeric nuclear factor Y (NF-YC1) was shown to play a key role in nodule organogenesis and bacterialinfection during the nitrogen fixing symbiosis established between common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and Rhizobium etli. Toidentify other proteins involved in this process, we used the yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) two-hybrid system to screen for NFYC1-interacting proteins. One of the positive clones encodes a member of the Phytochrome A Signal Transduction1 subfamily ofGRAS (for Gibberellic Acid-Insensitive (GAI), Repressor of GAI, and Scarecrow) transcription factors. The protein, namedScarecrow-like13 Involved in Nodulation (SIN1), localizes both to the nucleus and the cytoplasm, but in transgenic Nicotianabenthamiana cells, bimolecular fluorescence complementation suggested that the interaction with NF-YC1 takes placepredominantly in the nucleus. SIN1 is expressed in aerial and root tissues, with higher levels in roots and nodules.Posttranscriptional gene silencing of SIN1 using RNA interference (RNAi) showed that the product of this gene is involvedin lateral root elongation. However, root cell organization, density of lateral roots, and the length of root hairs were not affectedby SIN1 RNAi. In addition, the expression of the RNAi of SIN1 led to a marked reduction in the number and size of nodulesformed upon inoculation with R. etli and affected the progression of infection threads toward the nodule primordia. Expressionof NF-YA1 and the G2/M transition cell cycle genes CYCLIN B and Cell Division Cycle2 was reduced in SIN1 RNAi roots. Thesedata suggest that SIN1 plays a role in lateral root elongation and the establishment of root symbiosis in common bean.