scholarly journals Construction and Environmental Release of aSinorhizobium meliloti Strain Genetically Modified To Be More Competitive for Alfalfa Nodulation

2001 ◽  
Vol 67 (9) ◽  
pp. 3860-3865 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pieter van Dillewijn ◽  
Marı́a José Soto ◽  
Pablo J. Villadas ◽  
Nicolás Toro
Keyword(s):  
Sinorhizobium Meliloti ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Start Codon ◽  
Nodule Formation ◽  
Nodule Occupancy ◽  
Constitutive Promoter ◽  
Proline Dehydrogenase ◽  
Basal Expression ◽  
Meliloti Strain ◽  
Legume Production

ABSTRACT Highly efficient nitrogen-fixing strains selected in the laboratory often fail to increase legume production in agricultural soils containing indigenous rhizobial populations because they cannot compete against these populations for nodule formation. We have previously demonstrated, with a Sinorhizobium melilotiPutA− mutant strain, that proline dehydrogenase activity is required for colonization and therefore for the nodulation efficiency and competitiveness of S. meliloti on alfalfa roots (J. I. Jiménez-Zurdo, P. van Dillewijn, M. J. Soto, M. R. de Felipe, J. Olivares, and N. Toro, Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 8:492–498, 1995). In this work, we investigated whether the putA gene could be used as a means of increasing the competitiveness of S. melilotistrains. We produced a construct in which a constitutive promoter was placed 190 nucleotides upstream from the start codon of theputA gene. This resulted in an increase in the basal expression of this gene, with this increase being even greater in the presence of the substrate proline. We found that the presence of multicopy plasmids containing this putA gene construct increased the competitiveness of S. meliloti in microcosm experiments in nonsterile soil planted with alfalfa plants subjected to drought stress only during the first month. We investigated whether this construct also increased the competitiveness of S. meliloti strains under agricultural conditions by using it as the inoculum in a contained field experiment at León, Spain. We found that the frequency of nodule occupancy was higher with inoculum containing the modified putA gene for samples that were analyzed after 34 days but not for samples that were analyzed later.

scholarly journals Isolation of salt-sensitive mutants of Sinorhizobium meliloti strain Rm1021

Microbiology ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 152 (7) ◽  
pp. 2049-2059 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Miller-Williams ◽  
Peter C. Loewen ◽  
Ivan J. Oresnik
Keyword(s):  
Sinorhizobium Meliloti ◽  
High Salt ◽  
Trigger Factor ◽  
Nodule Occupancy ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
High Osmolarity ◽  
Meliloti Strain

The determinants necessary for adaptation to high NaCl concentrations and competition for nodule occupancy in Sinorhizobium meliloti were investigated genetically. Mutations in fabG as well as smc02909 (transmembrane transglycosylase), trigger factor (tig) and smc00717 (probably ftsE) gave rise to strains that were unable to tolerate high salt and were uncompetitive for nodule occupancy relative to the wild-type. Moreover exoF1, exoA and pgm determinants were determined to be necessary for strain Rm1021 to survive high NaCl and/or MgCl2 concentrations. The introduction of an expR + allele was capable of suppressing the Mg2+ sensitivity associated with the exoF1, but not the exoA, mutation in a manner independent of exopolysaccharide II (EPS II)-associated mucoidy. The results also show that the EPS II-associated mucoid phenotype was affected by either Mg2+or K+, but not by Li+, Ca2+, or high osmolarity.

scholarly journals Effect of a Sinorhizobium meliloti Strain with a Modified putA Gene on the Rhizosphere Microbial Community of Alfalfa

2002 ◽  
Vol 68 (9) ◽  
pp. 4201-4208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pieter van Dillewijn ◽  
Pablo J. Villadas ◽  
Nicolás Toro
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Sinorhizobium Meliloti ◽  
16S Rrna Genes ◽  
Rrna Genes ◽  
Nodule Occupancy ◽  
Extra Copy ◽  
Gradient Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Indigenous Microbial Community ◽  
Meliloti Strain ◽  
Temperature Gradient Gel Electrophoresis

ABSTRACT The success of a rhizobial inoculant in the soil depends to a large extent on its capacity to compete against indigenous strains. M403, a Sinorhizobium meliloti strain with enhanced competitiveness for nodule occupancy, was recently constructed by introducing a plasmid containing an extra copy of a modified putA (proline dehydrogenase) gene. This strain and M401, a control strain carrying the same plasmid without the modified gene, were used as soil inoculants for alfalfa in a contained field release experiment at León, Spain. In this study, we determined the effects of these two strains on the indigenous microbial community. 16S rRNA genes were obtained from the rhizosphere of alfalfa inoculated with strain M403 or strain M401 or from noninoculated plants by amplification of DNA from soil with bacterial group-specific primers. These genes were analyzed and compared by restriction fragment length polymorphism and temperature gradient gel electrophoresis. The results allowed us to differentiate between alterations in the microbial community apparently caused by inoculation and by the rhizosphere effect and seasonal fluctuations induced by the alfalfa plants and by the environment. Only moderate inoculation-dependent effects could be detected, while the alfalfa plants appeared to have a much stronger influence on the microbial community.

scholarly journals Mutation in the ntrR Gene, a Member of the vap Gene Family, Increases the Symbiotic Efficiency of Sinorhizobium meliloti

2001 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 887-894 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boglárka Oláh ◽  
Erno Kiss ◽  
Zoltán Györgypál ◽  
Judit Borzi ◽  
Gyöngyi Cinege ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Fixation ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Sinorhizobium Meliloti ◽  
Root Nodules ◽  
Nifh Gene ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Nodule Occupancy ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
Symbiotic Efficiency ◽  
Host Interactions

In specific plant organs, namely the root nodules of alfalfa, fixed nitrogen (ammonia) produced by the symbiotic partner Sinorhizobium meliloti supports the growth of the host plant in nitrogen-depleted environment. Here, we report that a derivative of S. meliloti carrying a mutation in the chromosomal ntrR gene induced nodules with enhanced nitrogen fixation capacity, resulting in an increased dry weight and nitrogen content of alfalfa. The efficient nitrogen fixation is a result of the higher expression level of the nifH gene, encoding one of the subunits of the nitrogenase enzyme, and nifA, the transcriptional regulator of the nif operon. The ntrR gene, controlled negatively by its own product and positively by the symbiotic regulator syrM, is expressed in the same zone of nodules as the nif genes. As a result of the nitrogen-tolerant phenotype of the strain, the beneficial effect of the mutation on efficiency is not abolished in the presence of the exogenous nitrogen source. The ntrR mutant is highly competitive in nodule occupancy compared with the wild-type strain. Sequence analysis of the mutant region revealed a new cluster of genes, termed the “ntrPR operon,” which is highly homologous to a group of vap-related genes of various pathogenic bacteria that are presumably implicated in bacterium-host interactions. On the basis of its favorable properties, the strain is a good candidate for future agricultural utilization.

Effects of a Nod-factor-overproducing strain of Sinorhizobium meliloti on the expression of the ENOD40 gene in Melilotus alba

2002 ◽  
Vol 80 (9) ◽  
pp. 907-915 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter F Giordano ◽  
Michelle R Lum ◽  
Ann M Hirsch
Keyword(s):  
Lateral Root ◽  
Sinorhizobium Meliloti ◽  
Cortical Cell ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Nodule Development ◽  
Nodule Formation ◽  
Additional Increase ◽  
Nod Factor ◽  
Melilotus Alba ◽  
Different Strains

We have initiated studies on the molecular biology and genetics of white sweetclover (Melilotus alba Desr.) and its responses to inoculation with the nitrogen-fixing symbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti. Early nodulin genes such as ENOD40 serve as markers for the transition from root to nodule development even before visible stages of nodule formation are evident. Using Northern blot analysis, we found that the ENOD40 gene was expressed within 6 h after inoculation with two different strains of S. meliloti, one of which overproduces symbiotic Nod factors. Inoculation with this strain resulted in an additional increase in ENOD40 gene expression over a typical wild-type S. meliloti strain. Moreover, the increase in mRNA brought about by the Nod-factor-overproducing strain 24 h after inoculation was correlated with lateral root formation by using whole-mount in situ hybridization to localize ENOD40 transcripts in lateral root meristems and by counting lateral root initiation sites. Cortical cell divisions were not detected. We also found that nodulation occurred more rapidly on white sweetclover in response to the Nod-factor-overproducing strain, but ultimately there was no difference in nodulation efficiency in terms of nodule number or the number of roots nodulated by the two strains. Also, the two strains could effectively co-colonize the host when inoculated together, although a few host cells were occupied by both strains.Key words: ENOD40, Nod factor, Melilotus, Sinorhizobium, symbiosis.

scholarly journals Expression of Medicago truncatula Genes Responsive to Nitric Oxide in Pathogenic and Symbiotic Conditions

2008 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 781-790 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Ferrarini ◽  
Matteo De Stefano ◽  
Emmanuel Baudouin ◽  
Chiara Pucciariello ◽  
Annalisa Polverari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitric Oxide ◽  
Medicago Truncatula ◽  
Regulatory Networks ◽  
Sinorhizobium Meliloti ◽  
Biotic Interactions ◽  
Hypersensitive Reaction ◽  
Nodule Formation ◽  
Polymorphism Analysis ◽  
Symbiotic Interaction ◽  
Physiological Relevance

Nitric oxide (NO) is involved in diverse physiological processes in plants, including growth, development, response to pathogens, and interactions with beneficial microorganisms. In this work, a dedicated microarray representing the widest database available of NO-related transcripts in plants has been produced with 999 genes identified by a cDNA amplified fragment length polymorphism analysis as modulated in Medicago truncatula roots treated with two NO donors. The microarray then was used to monitor the expression of NO-responsive genes in M. truncatula during the incompatible interaction with the foliar pathogen Colletotrichum trifolii race 1 and during the symbiotic interaction with Sinorhizobium meliloti 1021. A wide modulation of NO-related genes has been detected during the hypersensitive reaction or during nodule formation and is discussed with special emphasis on the physiological relevance of these genes in the context of the two biotic interactions. This work clearly shows that NO-responsive genes behave differently depending on the plant organ and on the type of interaction, strengthening the need to consider regulatory networks, including different signaling molecules.

scholarly journals Analysis of the chromosome sequence of the legume symbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti strain 1021

2001 ◽  
Vol 98 (17) ◽  
pp. 9877-9882 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Capela ◽  
F. Barloy-Hubler ◽  
J. Gouzy ◽  
G. Bothe ◽  
F. Ampe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sinorhizobium Meliloti ◽  
Chromosome Sequence ◽  
Meliloti Strain

scholarly journals Expression of a Serratia marcescens Chitinase Gene in Sinorhizobium fredii USDA191 and Sinorhizobium meliloti RCR2011 Impedes Soybean and Alfalfa Nodulation

1999 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 748-751 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hari B. Krishnan ◽  
Kil Yong Kim ◽  
Ammulu Hari Krishnan
Keyword(s):  
Serratia Marcescens ◽  
Sinorhizobium Meliloti ◽  
Wild Type Strain ◽  
Nodule Formation ◽  
Broad Host Range ◽  
Sinorhizobium Fredii ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
Range Vector ◽  
Layer Chromatography ◽  
Hydrolysis Of

A gene encoding chitinase from Serratia marcescens BJL200 was cloned into a broad-host-range vector (pRK415) and mobilized into Sinorhizobium fredii USDA191. Chitinolytic activity was detected in S. fredii USDA191 transconjugants that carried the S. marcescens chiB gene. Chitinase-producing S. fredii USDA191 formed nodules on soybean cultivar McCall. However, there was a delay in nodule formation and a marked decrease in the total number of nodules formed by the chitinase-producing S. fredii in comparison with the wild-type strain. Expression of chitinase in S. meliloti RCR2011 also impeded alfalfa nodulation. Thin-layer chromatography of 14C-labeled Nod factors from chitinase-producing S. fredii USDA191 revealed hydrolysis of lipochitooligosaccharides.

scholarly journals Type IV Effector Proteins Involved in the Medicago-Sinorhizobium Symbiosis

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew S. Nelson ◽  
Chan Lan Chun ◽  
Michael J. Sadowsky
Keyword(s):  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Sinorhizobium Meliloti ◽  
Effector Proteins ◽  
Nodule Formation ◽  
Effector Protein ◽  
In Planta ◽  
Type Iv ◽  
Rhizobial Species ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
Plant Sequence

In this study, we investigated genetic elements of the type IV secretion system (T4SS) found in Sinorhizobium spp. and the role they play in symbiosis. Sinorhizobium meliloti and S. medicae each contain a putative T4SS similar to that used by Agrobacterium tumefaciens during pathogenesis. The Cre reporter assay for translocation system was used to validate potential effector proteins. Both S. meliloti and S. medicae contained the effector protein TfeA, which was translocated into the host plant. Sequence analysis revealed the presence of a nod box involved in transcriptional activation of symbiosis-related genes, upstream of the transcriptional regulator (virG) in the Sinorhizobium T4SS. Replicate quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analyses indicated that luteolin, released by roots and seeds of Medicago truncatula, upregulated transcription of tfeA and virG. Mutations in the T4SS apparatus or tfeA alone resulted in reduced numbers of nodules formed on M. truncatula genotypes. In addition, S. meliloti KH46c, which contains a deletion in the T4SS, was less competitive for nodule formation when coinoculated with an equal number of cells of the wild-type strain. To our knowledge, TfeA is the first T4SS effector protein identified in Sinorhizobium spp. Our results indicate that Sinorhizobium i) uses a T4SS during initiation of symbiosis with Medicago spp., and ii) alters Medicago cells in planta during symbiosis. This study also offers additional bioinformatic evidence that several different rhizobial species may use the T4SS in symbiosis with other legumes.

scholarly journals Interrelations between Glycine Betaine Catabolism and Methionine Biosynthesis in Sinorhizobium meliloti Strain 102F34

2006 ◽  
Vol 188 (20) ◽  
pp. 7195-7204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lise Barra ◽  
Catherine Fontenelle ◽  
Gwennola Ermel ◽  
Annie Trautwetter ◽  
Graham C. Walker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Glycine Betaine ◽  
Sinorhizobium Meliloti ◽  
Wild Type Strain ◽  
Methionine Synthase ◽  
Vitamin B ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Methionine Biosynthesis ◽  
Catabolic Pathway ◽  
Methyl Transferase ◽  
Meliloti Strain

ABSTRACT Methionine is produced by methylation of homocysteine. Sinorhizobium meliloti 102F34 possesses only one methionine synthase, which catalyzes the transfer of a methyl group from methyl tetrahydrofolate to homocysteine. This vitamin B12-dependent enzyme is encoded by the metH gene. Glycine betaine can also serve as an alternative methyl donor for homocysteine. This reaction is catalyzed by betaine-homocysteine methyl transferase (BHMT), an enzyme that has been characterized in humans and rats. An S. meliloti gene whose product is related to the human BHMT enzyme has been identified and named bmt. This enzyme is closely related to mammalian BHMTs but has no homology with previously described bacterial betaine methyl transferases. Glycine betaine inhibits the growth of an S. meliloti bmt mutant in low- and high-osmotic strength media, an effect that correlates with a decrease in the catabolism of glycine betaine. This inhibition was not observed with other betaines, like homobetaine, dimethylsulfoniopropionate, and trigonelline. The addition of methionine to the growth medium allowed a bmt mutant to recover growth despite the presence of glycine betaine. Methionine also stimulated glycine betaine catabolism in a bmt strain, suggesting the existence of another catabolic pathway. Inactivation of metH or bmt did not affect the nodulation efficiency of the mutants in the 102F34 strain background. Nevertheless, a metH strain was severely defective in competing with the wild-type strain in a coinoculation experiment.

scholarly journals Inositol Catabolism, a Key Pathway in Sinorhizobium meliloti for Competitive Host Nodulation

2010 ◽  
Vol 76 (24) ◽  
pp. 7972-7980 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petra R. A. Kohler ◽  
Jasmine Y. Zheng ◽  
Elke Schoffers ◽  
Silvia Rossbach
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Carbon Source ◽  
Sole Carbon Source ◽  
Sinorhizobium Meliloti ◽  
Mutational Analysis ◽  
Nodule Occupancy ◽  
Nitrogen Fixing ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Catabolic Pathway ◽  
Inositol Dehydrogenase

ABSTRACT The nitrogen-fixing symbiont of alfalfa, Sinorhizobium meliloti, is able to use myo-inositol as the sole carbon source. Putative inositol catabolism genes (iolA and iolRCDEB) have been identified in the S. meliloti genome based on their similarities with the Bacillus subtilis iol genes. In this study, functional mutational analysis revealed that the iolA and iolCDEB genes are required for growth not only with the myo-isomer but also for growth with scyllo- and d-chiro-inositol as the sole carbon source. An additional, hypothetical dehydrogenase of the IdhA/MocA/GFO family encoded by the smc01163 gene was found to be essential for growth with scyllo-inositol, whereas the idhA-encoded myo-inositol dehydrogenase was responsible for the oxidation of d-chiro-inositol. The putative regulatory iolR gene, located upstream of iolCDEB, encodes a repressor of the iol genes, negatively regulating the activity of the myo- and the scyllo-inositol dehydrogenases. Mutants with insertions in the iolA, smc01163, and individual iolRCDE genes could not compete against the wild type in a nodule occupancy assay on alfalfa plants. Thus, a functional inositol catabolic pathway and its proper regulation are important nutritional or signaling factors in the S. meliloti-alfalfa symbiosis.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document