Nod factors (NF) are lipochitooligosaccharides produced by nitrogen-fixing rhizobia bacteria. They are key components of the rhizobia-plant signaling exchange required for symbiosis. Thus, techniques to extract, detect, characterize, and purify NF are crucial for the identification of both rhizobial and plant mechanisms underlying nitrogen-fixing symbiosis. Here, we describe a method for NF detection using radiolabeling and thin-layer chromatography. Furthermore, we describe a technique for purifying NF for downstream analyses.
Keywords: Chromatography; Nitrogen fixation; Nod factors; Nodulation; Rhizobium-legume symbiosis.
© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.