title: Nod factor requirements for efficient stem and root nodulation of the tropical legume Sesbania rostrata.
abstract: Azorhizobium caulinodans ORS571 synthesizes mainly pentameric Nod factors with a household fatty acid, an N-methyl, and a 6-O-carbamoyl group at the nonreducing-terminal residue and with a d-arabinosyl, an l-fucosyl group, or both at the reducing-terminal residue. Nodulation on Sesbania rostrata was carried out with a set of bacterial mutants that produce well characterized Nod factor populations. Purified Nod factors were tested for their capacity to induce root hair formation and for their stability in an in vitro degradation assay with extracts of uninfected adventitious rootlets. The glycosylations increased synergistically the nodulation efficiency and the capacity to induce root hairs, and they protected the Nod factor against degradation. The d-arabinosyl group was more important than the l-fucosyl group for nodulation efficiency. Replacement of the 6-O-l-fucosyl group by a 6-O-sulfate ester did not affect Nod factor stability, but reduced nodulation efficiency, indicating that the l-fucosyl group may play a role in recognition. The 6-O-carbamoyl group contributes to nodulation efficiency, biological activity, and protection, but could be replaced by a 6-O-acetyl group for root nodulation. The results demonstrate that none of the studied substitutions is strictly required for triggering normal nodule formation. However, the nodulation efficiency was greatly determined by the synergistic presence of substitutions. Within the range tested, fluctuations of Nod factor amounts had little impact on the symbiotic phenotype.
authors.affiliation: Vakgroep Moleculaire Genetica en Departement Plantengenetica, Vlaams Interuniversitair Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Universiteit Gent, B-9000 Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: D'Haeze
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mergaert
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Promé
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Holsters
mesh_terms: D020599:Azorhizobium caulinodans / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D007887:Fabaceae / Q000382:microbiology*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009876:Operon; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D013559:Symbiosis
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; C410036:Nod factor , Azorhizobium caulinodans