Pervasive RNA Regulation of Metabolism Enhances the Root Colonization Ability of Nitrogen-Fixing Symbiotic α-Rhizobia

Abstract

Nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbioses between rhizobia and legume plants provide more than half of the combined nitrogen incorporated annually into terrestrial ecosystems, rendering plant growth independent of environmentally unfriendly chemical fertilizers. The success of symbiosis depends primarily on the capacity of rhizobia to establish competitive populations in soil and rhizosphere environments.