Hongyan Zhu

TL;DR: Comparisons of sequenced regions of the model legume Medicago truncatula with those of the diploid Lotus japonicus and the polyploid Glycine max suggest that comparative mapping may have considerable utility for basic and applied research in the legumes, although its predictive value is likely to be tempered by phylogenetic distance and genome duplication.

TL;DR: The Fabaceae, or legumes, constitute the third largest family of flowering plants, comprising more than 650 genera and 18,000 species, accounting for more than half of the world's flowering plants.

TL;DR: Analysis shows the nucleotide-binding site (NBS)-Leucine-rich repeat (LRR) gene family not only is important functionally and agronomically, but also plays a structural role in the genome

TL;DR: It is suggested that establishment of a root nodule symbiosis requires the evasion of plant immune responses triggered by rhizobial effectors, and the existence of their cognate avirulence genes derived from rhizobia is suggested.

TL;DR: The current understanding of the mechanisms used by the host and bacteria to choose their symbiotic partners are reviewed, with a special focus on the role that the host immunity plays in controlling the specificity of the legume – rhizobial symbiosis.