Mechanism of nodulation and nitrogen fixation in Caucasian clover (Trifolium ambiguum Bieb.) based on transcriptomics and proteomics analyses

The study identified 70,280 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 770 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in total, among which carbonic anhydrase, cyanate lyase, phenylalanine, caffeate/5-hydroxyferulate 3-O-methyltransferase, caffeoyl CoA 3-O methyltransferase, chalcone synthase, and chalcone isomerase may have been the main factors affecting the nodulation and nitrogen fixation of Caucasian clover. This study theoretically contributes to the future genetic validation and selection of Caucasian clover varieties with a strong ability to nodulate and fix nitrogen.