Recently, a research paper entitled “An SHR SCR module specifies legume cortical cell fate to enable nodulation” was published in the journal Nature by Wang Ertao, an alumnus of School of Life Sciences of Henan University and a researcher of the Excellence and Innovation Center in Molecular Plant Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This paper reveals a unique property of legume root cortical cells enabled the initial establishment of rhizobial symbiosis. A SHORTROOT–SCARECROW (SHR–SCR) stem cell program in cortical cells of the legume Medicago truncatula specifies their distinct fate. This work suggests that acquisition of the cortical SHR–SCR module enabled cell division coupled to rhizobial infection in legumes. To a certain extent, it answers the scientific question “why legumes can nodulate and fix nitrogen” , which can be written into the textbook.

Wang Ertao’s research group has made many important achievements in the field of plant nodule symbiosis and Mycorrhizal symbiosis for several years. His team published a paper in the journal Science entitled “Plants transfer lipids to sustain colonization by mutualistic mycorrhizal and parasitic fungi” on June 8,2017, which revealed the symbiotic relationship between arbuscular Mycorrhizal fungi and plants for the first time. Fatty acids are the main form of carbon source transferred from plants to Mycorrhizal Fungi, which play an important role in the interaction between plants and powdery mildew. The theory of “sugar” in textbooks was overturned.

It is worth mentioning that Wang Ertao won the “2020 scientific exploration award” last month in recognition of his contribution to the discovery of plant-microbial symbiotic nutrient exchange and Mycorrhizal symbiotic signal receptors.

Wang Ertao, a 1999 alumnus of School of Life Sciences of HENU, is mainly engaged in the research of legume-nodule symbiosis nitrogen fixation and plant-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi symbiosis. He published many high impact papers in Science, Nature, Molecular Plant, Plant Cell, Cell Research and so on. The research was financially supported by the National Outstanding Youth Fund and Major Projects of the Ministry of Science and Technology. He won the second-class National Natural Science Award in 2014, the China Youth Science and Technology Award in 2018 and the CSPB outstanding young scientist award in 2019.

Contribution: School of Life Sciences