scholarly journals Glutathione and Homoglutathione Play a Critical Role in the Nodulation Process of Medicago truncatula

2005 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 254-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Frendo ◽  
Judith Harrison ◽  
Christel Norman ◽  
María Jesús Hernández Jiménez ◽  
Ghislaine Van de Sype ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medicago Truncatula ◽  
Root Nodules ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Specific Inhibitor ◽  
Buthionine Sulfoximine ◽  
Infection Process ◽  
Symbiotic Interaction ◽  
Transgenic Roots ◽  
Model Legume ◽  
Early Nodulin

Legumes form a symbiotic interaction with bacteria of the Rhizobiaceae family toproduce nitrogen-fixing root nodules under nitrogen-limiting conditions. This process involves the recognition of the bacterial Nod factors by the plant which mediates the entry of the bacteria into the root and nodule organogenesis. We have examined the importance of the low molecular weight thiols, glutathione (GSH) and homoglutathione (hGSH), during the nodulation process in the model legume Medicago truncatula. Using both buthionine sulfoximine, a specific inhibitor of GSH and hGSH synthesis, and transgenic roots expressing GSH synthetase and hGSH synthetase in an antisense orientation, we showed that deficiency in GSH and hGSH synthesis inhibited the formation of the root nodules. This inhibition was not correlated to a modification in the number of infection events or to a change in the expression of the Rhizobium sp.-induced peroxidase rip1, indicating that the low level of GSH or hGSH did not alter the first steps of the infection process. In contrast, a strong diminution in the number of nascent nodules and in the expression of the early nodulin genes, Mtenod12 and Mtenod40, were observed in GSHand hGSH-depleted plants. In conclusion, GSH and hGSH appear to be essential for proper development of the root nodules during the symbiotic interaction.

scholarly journals Heterologous Expression of Rhizobial CelC2 Cellulase Impairs Symbiotic Signaling and Nodulation in Medicago truncatula

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 568-575 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Robledo ◽  
Esther Menéndez ◽  
Jose Ignacio Jiménez-Zurdo ◽  
Raúl Rivas ◽  
Encarna Velázquez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medicago Truncatula ◽  
Cell Walls ◽  
Rhizobium Leguminosarum ◽  
Root Nodules ◽  
Root Hairs ◽  
Nod Factors ◽  
Model Legume ◽  
Ensifer Meliloti ◽  
Early Nodulin ◽  
The Impact

The infection of legume plants by rhizobia is tightly regulated to ensure accurate bacterial penetration, infection, and development of functionally efficient nitrogen-fixing root nodules. Rhizobial Nod factors (NF) have key roles in the elicitation of nodulation signaling. Infection of white clover roots also involves the tightly regulated specific breakdown of the noncrystalline apex of cell walls in growing root hairs, which is mediated by Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii cellulase CelC2. Here, we have analyzed the impact of this endoglucanase on symbiotic signaling in the model legume Medicago truncatula. Ensifer meliloti constitutively expressing celC gene exhibited delayed nodulation and elicited aberrant ineffective nodules, hampering plant growth in the absence of nitrogen. Cotreatment of roots with NF and CelC2 altered Ca2+ spiking in root hairs and induction of the early nodulin gene ENOD11. Our data suggest that CelC2 alters early signaling between partners in the rhizobia-legume interaction.

scholarly journals Comparison of nodule endophyte composition, diversity, and gene content between Medicago truncatula genotypes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mannix Burns ◽  
Brendan Epstein ◽  
Liana Burghardt
Keyword(s):  
Functional Groups ◽  
Medicago Truncatula ◽  
Root Nodules ◽  
Bacterial Endophytes ◽  
Host Genotype ◽  
Model Legume ◽  
Symbiotic Relationships ◽  
Functional Assays ◽  
Altered Gene ◽  
Significant Direct Effect

Leguminous plants form symbiotic relationships with rhizobia. These nitrogen-fixing bacteria live in specialized root organs called nodules. While rhizobia form the most notable host relationship within root nodules, other bacterial endophytes also inhabit these root nodules and can influence host-rhizobia interactions as well as exert effects of their own, whether beneficial or detrimental. In this study, we investigate differences in nodule communities between genotypes (A17 and R108) of a single plant species, the model legume Medicago truncatula. While diversity of endophytes in nodules was similar across hosts, both nodule endophyte composition and gene functional groups differed. In contrast to the significant direct effect of host genotype, neither the presence nor identity of a host in the previous generation (either A17 or R108) had a significant effect on the nodule endophyte diversity or composition. However, whether or not a host was present altered gene functional groups. We conclude that genetic variation within a legume host species can play an important role in the establishment of nodule microbiomes. Further studies, including GWAS and functional assays, can open the door for engineering and optimizing nodule endophyte communities that promote growth or have other beneficial qualities.

scholarly journals The landscape of cytokinin binding by a plant nodulin

2013 ◽  
Vol 69 (12) ◽  
pp. 2365-2380 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Ruszkowski ◽  
K. Szpotkowski ◽  
M. Sikorski ◽  
M. Jaskolski
Keyword(s):  
Root Nodules ◽  
Outer Cortex ◽  
Plant Host ◽  
Symbiotic Interaction ◽  
Model Legume ◽  
Hydrophobic Cavity ◽  
Density Maps ◽  
Loop Element ◽  
Α Helix ◽  
Related Proteins

Nodulation is an extraordinary symbiotic interaction between leguminous plants and nitrogen-fixing bacteria (rhizobia) that assimilate atmospheric nitrogen (in root nodules) and convert it into compounds suitable for the plant host. A class of plant hormones called cytokinins are involved in the nodulation process. In the model legumeMedicago truncatula, nodulin 13 (MtN13), which belongs to the pathogenesis-related proteins of class 10 (PR-10), is expressed in the outer cortex of the nodules. In general, PR-10 proteins are small and monomeric and have a characteristic fold with an internal hydrophobic cavity formed between a seven-stranded antiparallel β-sheet and a C-terminal α-helix. Previously, some PR-10 proteins not related to nodulation were found to bind cytokinins such astrans-zeatin. Here, four crystal structures of the MtN13 protein are reported in complexes with several cytokinins, namelytrans-zeatin,N6-isopentenyladenine, kinetin andN6-benzyladenine. All four phytohormones are bound in the hydrophobic cavity in the same manner and have excellent definition in the electron-density maps. The binding of the cytokinins appears to be strong and specific and is reinforced by several hydrogen bonds. Although the binding stoichiometry is 1:1, the complex is actually dimeric, with a cytokinin molecule bound in each subunit. The ligand-binding site in each cavity is formed with the participation of a loop element from the other subunit, which plugs the only entrance to the cavity. Interestingly, a homodimer of MtN13 is also formed in solution, as confirmed by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS).

scholarly journals The Medicago truncatula N5 Gene Encoding a Root-Specific Lipid Transfer Protein Is Required for the Symbiotic Interaction with Sinorhizobium meliloti

2009 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 1577-1587 ◽  
Author(s):  
Youry Pii ◽  
Alessandra Astegno ◽  
Elisa Peroni ◽  
Massimo Zaccardelli ◽  
Tiziana Pandolfini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medicago Truncatula ◽  
Sinorhizobium Meliloti ◽  
Lipid Transfer Protein ◽  
Symbiotic Association ◽  
Lipid Transfer ◽  
Symbiotic Interaction ◽  
Transgenic Roots ◽  
Transfer Protein ◽  
Small Proteins

The Medicago truncatula N5 gene is induced in roots after Sinorhizobium meliloti infection and it codes for a putative lipid transfer protein (LTP), a family of plant small proteins capable of binding and transferring lipids between membranes in vitro. Various biological roles for plant LTP in vivo have been proposed, including defense against pathogens and modulation of plant development. The aim of this study was to shed light on the role of MtN5 in the symbiotic interaction between M. truncatula and S. meliloti. MtN5 cDNA was cloned and the mature MtN5 protein expressed in Escherichia coli. The lipid binding capacity and antimicrobial activity of the recombinant MtN5 protein were tested in vitro. MtN5 showed the capacity to bind lysophospholipids and to inhibit M. truncatula pathogens and symbiont growth in vitro. Furthermore, MtN5 was upregulated in roots after infection with either the fungal pathogen Fusarium semitectum or the symbiont S. meliloti. Upon S. meliloti infection, MtN5 was induced starting from 1 day after inoculation (dpi). It reached the highest concentration at 3 dpi and it was localized in the mature nodules. MtN5-silenced roots were impaired in nodulation, showing a 50% of reduction in the number of nodules compared with control roots. On the other hand, transgenic roots overexpressing MtN5 developed threefold more nodules with respect to control roots. Here, we demonstrate that MtN5 possesses biochemical features typical of LTP and that it is required for the successful symbiotic association between M. truncatula and S. meliloti.

scholarly journals Sinorhizobium meliloti Controls Nitric Oxide–Mediated Post-Translational Modification of a Medicago truncatula Nodule Protein

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (12) ◽  
pp. 1353-1363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pauline Blanquet ◽  
Liliana Silva ◽  
Olivier Catrice ◽  
Claude Bruand ◽  
Helena Carvalho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitric Oxide ◽  
Nitrogen Fixation ◽  
Medicago Truncatula ◽  
Sinorhizobium Meliloti ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Root Nodules ◽  
Plant Protein ◽  
Post Translational Modification ◽  
Model Legume ◽  
Bacterial Mutants

Nitric oxide (NO) is involved in various plant-microbe interactions. In the symbiosis between soil bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti and model legume Medicago truncatula, NO is required for an optimal establishment of the interaction but is also a signal for nodule senescence. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms responsible for NO effects in the legume-rhizobium interaction. Here, we investigate the contribution of the bacterial NO response to the modulation of a plant protein post-translational modification in nitrogen-fixing nodules. We made use of different bacterial mutants to finely modulate NO levels inside M. truncatula root nodules and to examine the consequence on tyrosine nitration of the plant glutamine synthetase, a protein responsible for assimilation of the ammonia released by nitrogen fixation. Our results reveal that S. meliloti possesses several proteins that limit inactivation of plant enzyme activity via NO-mediated post-translational modifications. This is the first demonstration that rhizobia can impact the course of nitrogen fixation by modulating the activity of a plant protein.

scholarly journals The Signal Peptide of the Medicago truncatula Modular Nodulin MtNOD25 Operates as an Address Label for the Specific Targeting of Proteins to Nitrogen-Fixing Symbiosomes

2009 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalija Hohnjec ◽  
Frauke Lenz ◽  
Vera Fehlberg ◽  
Martin F. Vieweg ◽  
Markus C. Baier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medicago Truncatula ◽  
Signal Peptide ◽  
Root Nodules ◽  
Cellular Level ◽  
Specific Element ◽  
Model Legume ◽  
Specific Targeting ◽  
C Terminus ◽  
Organ Specific ◽  
Infected Cells

The nodule-specific MtNOD25 gene of the model legume Medicago truncatula encodes a modular nodulin composed of different repetitive modules flanked by distinct N- and C-termini. Although similarities are low with respect to all repetitive modules, both the N-terminal signal peptide (SP) and the C-terminus are highly conserved in modular nodulins from different legumes. On the cellular level, MtNOD25 is only transcribed in the infected cells of root nodules, and this activation is mediated by a 299-bp minimal promoter containing an organ-specific element. By expressing mGFP6 translational fusions in transgenic nodules, we show that MtNOD25 proteins are exclusively translocated to the symbiosomes of infected cells. This specific targeting only requires an N-terminal MtNOD25 SP that is highly conserved across a family of legume-specific symbiosome proteins. Our finding sheds light on one possible mechanism for the delivery of host proteins to the symbiosomes of infected root nodule cells and, in addition, defines a short molecular address label of only 24 amino acids whose N-terminal presence is sufficient to translocate proteins across the peribacteroid membrane.

scholarly journals The Medicago truncatula MtAnn1 Gene Encoding an Annexin Is Induced by Nod Factors and During the Symbiotic Interaction with Rhizobium meliloti

1998 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 504-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernanda de Carvalho Niebel ◽  
Nicole Lescure ◽  
Julie V. Cullimore ◽  
Pascal Gamas
Keyword(s):  
Medicago Truncatula ◽  
Rhizobium Meliloti ◽  
Marker Gene ◽  
Distal Region ◽  
Infection Process ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Nod Factors ◽  
Symbiotic Interaction ◽  
Symbiotic Associations ◽  
Infection Threads

Here we report the characterization of a new Nod factor-induced gene from Medicago truncatula identified by mRNA differential display. This gene, designated MtAnn1, encodes a protein homologous to the annexin family of calcium- and phospholipid-binding proteins. We further show that the MtAnn1 gene is also induced during symbiotic associations with Rhizobium meliloti, both at early stages in bacterial-inoculated roots and in nodule structures. By in situ hybridization, we demonstrate that MtAnn1 expression in nodules is mainly associated with the distal region of invasion zone II not containing infection threads, revealing MtAnn1 as a new marker gene of the pre-infection zone. Moreover, analyses of MtAnn1 expression in response to bacterial symbiotic mutants suggest that the expression of MtAnn1 during nodulation requires biologically active Nod factors and is independent of the infection process.

scholarly journals Novel Genes and Regulators That Influence Production of Cell Surface Exopolysaccharides inSinorhizobium meliloti

2017 ◽  
Vol 200 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie J. Barnett ◽  
Sharon R. Long
Keyword(s):  
Cell Surface ◽  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Sinorhizobium Meliloti ◽  
Developmental Process ◽  
Root Nodules ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Nitrogen Fixing ◽  
Symbiotic Interaction ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mutant Phenotypes

ABSTRACTSinorhizobium melilotiis a soil-dwelling alphaproteobacterium that engages in a nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbiosis with leguminous plants. Cell surface polysaccharides are important both for adapting to stresses in the soil and for the development of an effective symbiotic interaction. Among the polysaccharides characterized to date, the acidic exopolysaccharides I (EPS-I; succinoglycan) and II (EPS-II; galactoglucan) are particularly important for protection from abiotic stresses, biofilm formation, root colonization, and infection of plant roots. Previous genetic screens discovered mutants with impaired EPS production, allowing the delineation of EPS biosynthetic pathways. Here we report on a genetic screen to isolate mutants with mucoid colonial morphologies that suggest EPS overproduction. Screening with Tn5-110, which allows the recovery of both null and upregulation mutants, yielded 47 mucoid mutants, most of which overproduce EPS-I; among the 30 unique genes and intergenic regions identified, 14 have not been associated with EPS production previously. We identified a new protein-coding gene,emmD, which may be involved in the regulation of EPS-I production as part of the EmmABC three-component regulatory circuit. We also identified a mutant defective in EPS-I production, motility, and symbiosis, where Tn5-110 was not responsible for the mutant phenotypes; these phenotypes result from a missense mutation inrpoAcorresponding to the domain of the RNA polymerase alpha subunit known to interact with transcription regulators.IMPORTANCEThe alphaproteobacteriumSinorhizobium meliloticonverts dinitrogen to ammonium while inhabiting specialized plant organs termed root nodules. The transformation ofS. melilotifrom a free-living soil bacterium to a nitrogen-fixing plant symbiont is a complex developmental process requiring close interaction between the two partners. As the interface between the bacterium and its environment, theS. meliloticell surface plays a critical role in adaptation to varied soil environments and in interaction with plant hosts. We isolated and characterizedS. melilotimutants with increased production of exopolysaccharides, key cell surface components. Our diverse set of mutants suggests roles for exopolysaccharide production in growth, metabolism, cell division, envelope homeostasis, biofilm formation, stress response, motility, and symbiosis.

Transcript enrichment of Nod factor-elicited early nodulin genes in purified root hair fractions of the model legume Medicago truncatula

2005 ◽  
Vol 56 (419) ◽  
pp. 2507-2513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurent Sauviac ◽  
Andreas Niebel ◽  
Aurélien Boisson-Dernier ◽  
David G. Barker ◽  
Fernanda de Carvalho-Niebel
Keyword(s):  
Medicago Truncatula ◽  
Root Hair ◽  
Model Legume ◽  
Nod Factor ◽  
Early Nodulin ◽  
Nodulin Genes

scholarly journals Specific Host-Responsive Associations Between Medicago truncatula Accessions and Sinorhizobium Strains

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 399-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Théophile Kazmierczak ◽  
Marianna Nagymihály ◽  
Florian Lamouche ◽  
Quentin Barrière ◽  
Ibtissem Guefrachi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medicago Truncatula ◽  
Sinorhizobium Meliloti ◽  
Root Nodules ◽  
Nodule Formation ◽  
Bacterial Strains ◽  
Symbiotic Efficiency ◽  
Model Legume ◽  
Functional Studies ◽  
Multiple Parameters ◽  
Nitrogen Fixation Activity

Legume plants interact with rhizobia to form nitrogen-fixing root nodules. Legume-rhizobium interactions are specific and only compatible rhizobia and plant species will lead to nodule formation. Even within compatible interactions, the genotype of both the plant and the bacterial symbiont will impact on the efficiency of nodule functioning and nitrogen-fixation activity. The model legume Medicago truncatula forms nodules with several species of the Sinorhizobium genus. However, the efficiency of these bacterial strains is highly variable. In this study, we compared the symbiotic efficiency of Sinorhizobium meliloti strains Sm1021, 102F34, and FSM-MA, and Sinorhizobium medicae strain WSM419 on the two widely used M. truncatula accessions A17 and R108. The efficiency of the interactions was determined by multiple parameters. We found a high effectiveness of the FSM-MA strain with both M. truncatula accessions. In contrast, specific highly efficient interactions were obtained for the A17-WSM419 and R108-102F34 combinations. Remarkably, the widely used Sm1021 strain performed weakly on both hosts. We showed that Sm1021 efficiently induced nodule organogenesis but cannot fully activate the differentiation of the symbiotic nodule cells, explaining its weaker performance. These results will be informative for the selection of appropriate rhizobium strains in functional studies on symbiosis using these M. truncatula accessions, particularly for research focusing on late stages of the nodulation process.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document