The Medicago truncatula lncRNA ENOD40 is a mediator of microRNA169- controlled NF-YA activity in nodule initiation

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Wijsman, Tristan; Mohd-Radzman, Nadia A.; Liu, Jieyu; Oldroyd, Giles E. D.; Kohlen, Wouter; Kulikova, Olga; Heidstra, Renze; Scheres, Ben; Franssen, Henk J.
• 署名单位: Wageningen University & Research; University of Cambridge; University of Cambridge
• 刊物名称: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0027-8693
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2424231122
• 发表日期: 2025-08-26
• 关键词: long noncoding rnas; messenger-rna; expression; plant; transcription; gene; requirements; localization; division; mthap2-1

摘要

The hallmark of the legume lncRNA EARLY NODULIN40 (ENOD40), involved in rhizobium- induced nodulation, is the presence of a highly conserved stretch of 24 nucleotides, designated box2, preceded by a small open- reading- frame (sORF) coding for a peptide of 12 to 13 amino acids. Although there is a well- established link between ENOD40 and nodulation, it is not fully clear by which mechanism ENOD40 functions in this process. Here, we show that a region harboring box2 can complement nodule formation in an ENOD40 knock- out mutant (enod40- 1- 2/1). The sequence of box2 bears the characteristics of a miR169 target mimic. We show that the artificial target mimic MIM169defg can indeed complement the reduced capability of nodule formation in enod40- 1- 2/1, and that box2 exhibits target mimic activity in a transient luciferase assay. In addition, the introduction of a miR169- resistant form of MtNF- YA1 also elevates the capacity to form nodules in enod40- 1- 2/1. We conclude that ENOD40 effectuates nodule initiation by posttranscriptional upregulation of the miR169 target NF- YA1, which encodes an essential transcription factor in this step of the nodulation process.