NORK and soybean acyl carrier protein (ACP) both play important roles in nodulation. However, the relationship between Nod factor signaling and fatty acid (FA) biosynthesis during symbiotic development is unknown. In this study, an RNAi plasmid of GmNORK was constructed and transformed into soybean roots by Agrobacterium rhizogene-mediated hairy-root transformation. The nodule number decreased substantially in GmNORK knockdown soybean transgenic roots. To investigate the relationship between GmACP and Nod factor signaling, we measured GmACP expression levels in GmNORK RNAi soybean transgenic roots and found that rhizobia inoculation led to substantially reduced GmACP expression. Thus, FA biosynthesis was affected by Nod factor signaling during nodule development in soybean, a finding that provides valuable information that improves our understanding of the functions of GmNORK and GmACP in symbiotic signaling and nodule development.

SymRK and GmFWL1 both play important roles in nodulation. However, during symbiotic development, the details of Nod factor signaling association with the regulation of cell division in nodules are unknown. SymRK, the immediately downstream component of these Nod factor receptors, is central to the Nod factor signaling cascade. In this study, specified RNAi plasmid of GmSymRK was constructed and transformed into soybean roots by agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated hairy root transformation. We found that the nodule number decreased substantially in GmSymRK knockdown soybean transgenic roots. Further to study the relationship between GmFWL1 and Nod factor signaling, we analyzed the GmFWL1 expression levels in the GmSymRK RNAi soybean transgenic roots and found that rhizobia inoculation led to substantially reduced GmFWL1 expression in GmSymRK RNAi soybean transgenic roots. Our studies showed that the regulation of cell division was affected by Nod factor signaling during nodule development in soybean, which provides important information toward understanding the functions of GmSymRK and GmFWL1 in symbiotic signaling and nodule development.