title: Characterization of Sinorhizobium meliloti triose phosphate isomerase genes.
abstract: A Tn5 mutant strain of Sinorhizobium meliloti with an insertion in tpiA (systematic identifier SMc01023), a putative triose phosphate isomerase (TPI)-encoding gene, was isolated. The tpiA mutant grew more slowly than the wild type on rhamnose and did not grow with glycerol as a sole carbon source. The genome of S. meliloti wild-type Rm1021 contains a second predicted TPI-encoding gene, tpiB (SMc01614). We have constructed mutations and confirmed that both genes encode functional TPI enzymes. tpiA appears to be constitutively expressed and provides the primary TPI activity for central metabolism. tpiB has been shown to be required for growth with erythritol. TpiB activity is induced by growth with erythritol; however, basal levels of TpiB activity present in tpiA mutants allow for growth with gluconeogenic carbon sources. Although tpiA mutants can be complemented by tpiB, tpiA cannot substitute for mutations in tpiB with respect to erythritol catabolism. Mutations in tpiA or tpiB alone do not cause symbiotic defects; however, mutations in both tpiA and tpiB caused reduced symbiotic nitrogen fixation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg R3T 2N2, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Nathan J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Poysti
authors.forename: Ivan J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Oresnik
mesh_terms: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004896:Erythritol / Q000378:metabolism; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D005990:Glycerol / Q000378:metabolism; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D009586:Nitrogen Fixation / Q000235:genetics; D012210:Rhamnose / Q000378:metabolism; D016962:Sinorhizobium meliloti / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D014305:Triose-Phosphate Isomerase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D014305:Triose-Phosphate Isomerase; D005990:Glycerol; D012210:Rhamnose; D004896:Erythritol