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Many plants associate with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for nutrient acquisition, while legumes also associate with nitrogen-fixing rhizobial bacteria. Both associations rely on symbiosis signaling and here we show that cereals can perceive lipochitooligosaccharides (LCOs) for activation of symbiosis signaling, surprisingly including Nod factors produced by nitrogen-fixing bacteria. However, legumes show stringent perception of specifically decorated LCOs, that is absent in cereals. LCO perception in plants is activated by nutrient starvation, through transcriptional regulation of Nodulation Signaling Pathway ( NSP ) 1 and NSP2 . These transcription factors induce expression of an LCO receptor and act through the control of strigolactone biosynthesis and the karrikin-like receptor DWARF14-LIKE . We conclude that LCO production and perception is coordinately regulated by nutrient starvation to promote engagement with mycorrhizal fungi. Our work has implications for the use of both mycorrhizal and rhizobial associations for sustainable productivity in cereals. Lipochitooligosaccharide (LCO) perception by legumes is required to establish symbiotic relationships with nitrogen fixing bacteria. Here the authors show that nutrient starvation can activate LCO perception in cereals to promote symbiotic association with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are ubiquitous in cultivated soils, forming symbiotic relationships with the roots of major crop species. Studies in controlled conditions have demonstrated the potential of AMF to enhance the growth of host plants. However, it is difficult to estimate the actual benefit in the field, not least because of the lack of suitable AMF-free controls. Here we implement a novel strategy using the selective incorporation of AMF-resistance into a genetic mapping population to evaluate maize response to AMF. We found AMF to account for about one-third of the grain production in a medium input field, as well as to affect the relative performance of different plant genotypes. Characterization of the genetic architecture of the host response indicated a trade-off between mycorrhizal dependence and benefit. We identified several QTL linked to host benefit, supporting the feasibility of breeding crops to maximize profit from symbiosis with AMF.

Two specimens of the zooxanthellate zoantharian Nanozoanthus aff. harenaceus Fujii and Reimer, 2013 are reported from Hakamagoshi, Kagoshima, Japan (31°35′N, 135°35′E). They represent the first record for the genus from temperate waters and from Japan outside of the Ryukyu Islands. The collected specimens, although clearly Nanozoanthus , differ in coloration, number of tentacles, and Symbiodinium density in the tentacles, from the only described species of the genus, N. harenaceus Fujii and Reimer, 2013, which is known only from Okinawa-jima Island, Japan. Additionally, acquired cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences from the two specimens were identical to previously reported sequences of Nanozoanthus sp. from western Australia. Based on these combined morphological and molecular results, the specimens were identified as an undescribed species, Nanozoanthus aff. harenaceus . This northward extension of Nanozoanthus ’ range demonstrates that this genus is not limited to subtropical and tropical waters as has been previously reported. They may also be found in a wider range of environments than assumed, as all earlier records are from carbonate substrate in coral reef environments and not from volcanic rock as in the current report. Due to its very small polyp size and somewhat cryptic nature, Nanozoanthus may be more widely spread than has been thought, and future research should examine other temperate locations in the Indo-Pacific.

Amino acid and glucosinolate biosynthesis are two interdependent pathways; amino acid synthesis as a part of primary metabolism provides the precursors for glucosinolate biosynthesis in secondary metabolism. In our previous studies, the combination of coexpression analysis and metabolite profiling led to the identification of genes and key regulators involved in glucosinolate biosynthesis. Moreover, the integration of transcriptome and metabolome data of sulphur-deprived Arabidopsis plants revealed coordinate changes in the expression profiles of genes involved in glucosinolate and amino acid metabolism.This review provides an overview of our recent studies involving Arabidopsis mutant plants that exhibit impairment in the side-chain elongation process occurring during aliphatic glucosinolate biosynthesis by means of coexpression analysis and a novel metabolite profiling approach based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC-TQMS) (Sawada et al. 2009a). Thus, this review highlights the advantages of the omics-based approach in identifying genes involved in glucosinolate biosynthesis.

Palau is world famous for its relatively pristine and highly diverse coral reefs, yet for many coral reef invertebrate taxa, few data exist on their diversity in this Micronesian country. One such taxon is the Zoantharia, an order of benthic cnidarians within the Class Anthozoa (Subclass Hexacorallia) that are commonly found in shallow subtropical and tropical waters. Here, we examine the species diversity of zoanthids in Palau for the first time, based on shallow-water (<35 m) scuba surveys and morphological identification to create a preliminary zoanthid species list for Palau. Our results indicated the presence of nine zoanthid species in Palau ( Zoanthus sansibaricus , Z. gigantus , Palythoa tuberculosa , P. mutuki , P. heliodiscus , Palythoa cf. toxica , Epizoanthus illoricatus , Parazoanthus sp., Microzoanthus kagerou ), apparently slightly more than have been recently observed in nearby Guam, Saipan, and the Ogasawara Islands. Additionally, it appears that some zoanthid species that have been observed to be co-occurring in the fringing reefs of Okinawa may inhabit different locations in the better developed reefs of Palau.