A shared gene drives lateral root development and root nodule symbiosis pathways in Lotus

Common gene yields different structures Nodules form on legume roots to house symbiotic, nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Lateral roots, characteristic of a much broader range of plants, extend to take up nutrients and water from the soil. Soyano et al. found common ground in the developmental pathways that build nodules and lateral roots (see the Perspective by Bishopp and Bennett). Evidence from Lotus japonicus , a legume that can fix atmospheric nitrogen, shows that the nodule-forming pathway shares components with the lateral root pathway. Science , this issue p. 1021 ; see also p. 953