The ability of legume crops to fix atmospheric nitrogen via a symbiotic association with soil rhizobia makes them an essential component of many agricultural systems. Initiation of this symbiosis requires protein phosphorylation-mediated signaling in response to rhizobial signals named Nod factors. Medicago truncatula (Medicago) is the model system for studying legume biology, making the study ...

The implementation of cover crops in vineyards is an environment-friendly soil management technique that has several advantages, including weed suppression. effectiveness the depends on characteristics both community and crop species. objectives this study were to evaluate dynamics Cynodon dactylon patches rest composition under five different (four grasses one dicotyledonous species) a commerc...

Histone H3 proteins were purified to near homogeneity from etiolated seedlings of wheat (Triticum aestivum), barley (Hordeum vulgare), rice (Oryza sativa), maize (Zea mays), and alfalfa (Medicago sativa) to determine the number of histone H3 variants. Five distinct histone H3 variants were identified by gradient gel electrophoresis and reversed phase chromatography. These variants occur in vari...

We report the high-quality draft genome sequence of Xanthomonas alfalfae subsp. alfalfae strain CFBP 3836, the causal agent of bacterial leaf and stem spot in lucerne (Medicago sativa). Comparative genomics will help to decipher the mechanisms provoking disease and triggering the defense responses of this pathogen of the model legume Medicago truncatula.

The timing of the transition to flowering is carefully controlled by plants in order to optimize sexual reproduction and the ensuing production of seeds, grains, and fruits. The genetic networks that regulate floral induction are best characterized in the temperate eudicot Arabidopsis in which the florigen gene FT plays a major role in promoting the transition to flowering. Legumes are an impor...

FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) genes encode proteins that function as the mobile floral signal, florigen. In this study, we characterized five FT-like genes from the model legume, Medicago (Medicago truncatula). The different FT genes showed distinct patterns of expression and responses to environmental cues. Three of the FT genes (MtFTa1, MtFTb1, and MtFTc) were able to complement the Arabidopsis (Ara...

With several plant genomes sequenced, the power of comparative genome analysis can now be applied. However, genome-scale cross-species analyses are limited by the effort for data integration. To develop an integrated cross-species plant genome resource, we maintain comprehensive databases for model plant genomes, including Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), maize (Zea mays), Medicago truncatul...