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PLoS Computational Biology Issue Image | Vol. 6(2) February 2010

Computational complementation.

Autoregulation of nodulation (AON) is a long-distance, shoot-root signalling system for regulating nodule formation in legume plants. This visualisation, taken from a computational complementation experiment, demonstrates the possible allocation of an unidentified signal for inhibition of nodulation in soybean root. In this approach, an empirical model of a loss-of-function (non-AON) mutant is complemented with hypothetical AON mechanisms. If the resulting nodulation phenotype matches the wild-type plant, the hypotheses would be supported as reasonable. The first application of computational complementation predicted that soybean cotyledons participate in AON, which was subsequently confirmed by a real-plant experiment (see Han et al., doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000685).

Image Credit: Liqi Han (University of Queensland).

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Computational complementation.

Autoregulation of nodulation (AON) is a long-distance, shoot-root signalling system for regulating nodule formation in legume plants. This visualisation, taken from a computational complementation experiment, demonstrates the possible allocation of an unidentified signal for inhibition of nodulation in soybean root. In this approach, an empirical model of a loss-of-function (non-AON) mutant is complemented with hypothetical AON mechanisms. If the resulting nodulation phenotype matches the wild-type plant, the hypotheses would be supported as reasonable. The first application of computational complementation predicted that soybean cotyledons participate in AON, which was subsequently confirmed by a real-plant experiment (see Han et al., doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000685).

Image Credit: Liqi Han (University of Queensland).

https://doi.org/10.1371/image.pcbi.v06.i02.g001