RNA-seq of L. japonicus wild type (MG-20) and ern1 roots.

Leguminous plants attract symbiotic bacteria, called rhizobia, in roots. Rhizobial invasion consists of a multi-step process controlled by host plants. After deforming root hairs, host plant produces an infection thread (IT), tubular invaginations of the host cell wall and plasma membrane, arised from infection foci of the deformed root hairs. These processes are critical for a successful, efficient infection. A symbiotic mutant, ern1, shows various morphological abnormalities during the rhizobial infection. To investigate genes involved in the early symbiotic process, we harvested wild type (MG-20) and ern1 roots at 0 (non-inoculated), 1, 2 and 3 days after inoculation with Mesorhizobium loti and performed the time-course RNA-seq analysis.