ArticleBMC plant biology2025
Comparative transcriptomics reveals differential carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in roots and nodules of Rhizobia-Inoculated alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.).
Article in BMC plant biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Integrative Multi-Omics Analysis Reveals Transcriptomic and Metabolic Remodeling Associated with Enhanced Peanut Nodulation Under Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Inoculation and Calcium Application.Plants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Untargeted Metabolomics Reveals Organ-Specific Metabolites Associated with Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities in Finger Citron (Metabolites · 2026Article
- Structure-informed engineering of plant-microbe interactions.The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology · 2026Review
- Differences and characteristics in amino acids, catechins, and flavonoids among alfalfa (Frontiers in plant science · 2026Article
- Hydrogen sulfide alleviates thiocyanate stress in rice seedlings via tissue-specific carbon and nitrogen metabolic reprogramming.Frontiers in plant science · 2026Article
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Abstract
backgroundThe symbiotic nitrogen-fixing system formed between alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and rhizobia requires precise regulation of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism to sustain their high-energy-demand system. However, metabolic divergence between roots and nodules remains poorly characterized.
resultsUsing comparative transcriptomics, we analyzed gene expression profiles in pink nodules (PN), white nodules (WN), Pink nodule roots (PNR), white nodule roots (WNR), non-nodule roots (NNR) and control roots (CKR) from rhizobia-inoculated plants at 35 days post-inoculation. Key findings revealed metabolic specialization between tissues: PN exhibited elevated expression of lipid catabolism genes (MsECHIA, MsACX) and key genes of the TCA cycle regulators, driving direct energy supply for nitrogenase activity. PNR, WNR preferentially expressed glycolysis (MsPKP2) and pentose phosphate pathway (MsG6PD5) genes to convert photoassimilates into dicarboxylic acids via a directional transport system to nodules. WN showed enriched fatty acid elongation genes (MsKCR1, MsHACD2), suggesting compensatory synthesis of structural lipid to maintain symbiotic interfaces under carbon limitation. NNR, CKR retained starch metabolism dominance. Weighted geneco-expression network analysis revealed that symbiotic signaling synchronizes nodule lipid degradation with root carbon repartitioning to prioritize photoassimilate allocation to nodules. Nodulated roots may supplement nodule energetics through lipid precursor synthesis or storage lipid hydrolysis, thereby forming a "root-nodule metabolic relay" mechanism. Our results demonstrate that the alfalfa-rhizobia symbiosis establishes a hierarchical energy distribution network through tissue-specific regulation of metabolic genes, coordinating nitrogen fixation efficiency with energy supply homeostasis.
conclusionsThis study elucidates metabolic coordination mechanisms underlying legume-rhizobial symbiosis, providing a theoretical framework for optimizing symbiotic energy economics through targeted gene editing approaches.
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