Tubulin cytoskeleton in the development of nitrogen-fixing nodules of legumes.

Microtubule dynamics underlie the formation of various patterns of the tubulin cytoskeleton. In turn, cortical microtubule patterns determine the direction of cell growth. A regular pattern underlies anisotropic (uneven) growth, while an irregular pattern underlies isotropic (in all directions) one. Changes in the organization of the tubulin cytoskeleton play an important role in the differentiation of nitrogen-fixing nodule cells in legumes. Researchers at the Laboratory of Molecular and Cell Biology at the ARRIAM are studying the organization of the tubulin cytoskeleton in nodules of various legumes. In a recent article, Kitaeva, A.B.; Kusakin, P.G.; Gorshkov, A.P.; Tsyganova, A.V.; Tsyganov, V.E. Tubulin Cytoskeleton Organization in Cells of Determinate Nodules in Vigna radiata, Vigna unguiculata, and Lotus corniculatus. Plants 2025, 14, 2986. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14192986 three more species (Vigna radiata, V. unguiculata, and Lotus corniculatus) that form determinate nodules (i.e., nodules with limited meristem activity, a rounded shape, characteristic of tropical legumes) were studied. As a result, both general and species-specific patterns of tubulin cytoskeleton organization in nitrogen-fixing nodules were identified. The study was carried out within the framework of the Russian Science Foundation project 24-16-00156 "Tubulin cytoskeleton in the development of nitrogen-fixing nodules of legumes."