Symbiotic genes of legumes detected by transcriptomic analysis

Legumes form symbioses with nodule bacteria (NB) and arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi(AM). The formation of symbioses increases the resistance of plants to stress and contributes to obtaining a stable harvest even in conditions of global climate change. The study of the molecular basis of symbioses formed by legumes is necessary to increase the effectiveness of these symbioses when they are used in modern agriculture. Previously, individual regulatory genes (so-called Sym genes) controlling some stages of symbiosis development were studied for model legumes using mutation analysis. Currently, high throughput sequencing technologies allow us to study a complete set of genes encoding the "molecular symbiosis machine" and necessary for ensuring the metabolic integration of symbionts. Among them, there are genes encoding nodulins (from the “nodule”), proteins specific for legume-rhizobial symbiosis (LRS), and mycorrhizins specific for arbuscular-mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis. The products of genes whose expression is induced during the development of both LRS and AMS are called symbiosins. The genes encoding symbiosins, nodulins and mycorrhizins have been studied on the model legumes Medicago truncatula Gaertn., Lotus japonicus (Regel.) K. Larsen and Glycine max (L.) Merr., while the symbiosis-specific genes of non-model legumes, as well as the features of their expression, have not been sufficiently studied to date. The use of transcriptomics approaches (i.e., the study of the entire set of expressed genes, the so-called transcriptome) makes it possible to fill this knowledge gap. In this paper, we have summarized the results of research of the expression of the above groups of genes in legumesin recent years.