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Concurrent Session

Session: Concurrent Session: Engineering plant-microbe traits

Engineering of Lysin motif receptor-like kinases to enable Nod factor perception in barley and maize

Thursday, July 17, 2025
11:30 - 11:40  
Location: Confex Hall 1+2

Abstract Text: Engineering root nodule symbiosis (RNS) in non-legume crops is gaining increasing importance as a strategy for sustainable agriculture. The first critical step in this process is enabling these crops to recognize rhizobial signals, known as Nod factors (NFs), which is primarily determined by plant cell surface receptors, lysin-motif receptor-like kinases (LysM-RLKs). NOD FACTOR RECEPTOR 5 (NFR5) plays an essential role in NF perception in RNS and represents a key evolutionary innovation unique to nodulating plants, making it a prime target for engineering. In this project, we aim to engineer orthologs of NFR5 in barley (HvRLK10) and maize (ZmNFR5a) to achieve stringent and efficient recognition of NFs, ultimately facilitating symbiotic interactions. Using structure-guided mutagenesis, we have generated a series of receptor mutants in the ectodomains of HvRLK10 and ZmNFR5a, have successfully conferred NF perception leading to successful nodulation in Lotus japonicus. Notably, we also observed an increase in the specificity of signal recognition in maize protoplasts when introducing our engineered receptor variants. These findings represent a significant advancement in transferring the RNS trait to targeted crops, contributing to the broader goal of sustainable and nitrogen-efficient agriculture.