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. 2025 Jul;643(8072):768-775.
doi: 10.1038/s41586-025-09057-0. Epub 2025 May 6.

A kinase mediator of rhizobial symbiosis and immunity in Medicago

Dapeng Wang #  1 , Rui Jin #  1   2 , Xiaobao Shi  1   3 , Haoran Guo  1   3 , Xinhang Tan  1   3 , Achen Zhao  1   3 , Xinghua Lian  1   3 , Huiling Dai  1 , Shaozhuang Li  1 , Kexu Xin  1 , Changfu Tian  4 , Jun Yang  1 , Wansheng Chen  2 , Alberto P Macho  1 , Ertao Wang  5   6
Affiliations

A kinase mediator of rhizobial symbiosis and immunity in Medicago

Dapeng Wang et al. Nature. 2025 Jul.

Abstract

Legume roots secure nitrogen by forming a symbiosis with soil rhizobia but remain resistant to pathogenic bacteria1-4. How this tolerance to rhizobia is achieved without compromising plant immunity is largely unknown. Here we identify the cytoplasmic kinase MtLICK1/2, which interacts with nodulation factor receptor MtLYK3 to drive symbiotic signalling and suppress plant immunity. Rhizobial infection and nodule development are defective in Mtlick1/2, phenocopying the Mtlyk3-1 mutant. MtLICK1/2 and MtLYK3 undergo reciprocal transphosphorylation during rhizobial symbiosis. Phosphorylated MtLYK3 activates the receptor-like kinase MtDMI2 to stimulate symbiotic signalling. MtLICK1/2 is activated in the rhizobial infection area to suppress plant immunity. Thus, MtLICK1/2 and MtLYK3 together amplify symbiotic signalling and dampen host immunity to enable legume-rhizobium symbiosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

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