Inactivation of the Sinorhizobium fredii HH103 rhcJ gene abolishes nodulation outer proteins (Nops) secretion and decreases the symbiotic capacity with soybean

Authors

  • Maria do C. C. P. de Lyra Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Sevilla, Spain
  • F. Javier López-Baena Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Sevilla, Spain
  • Nuria Madinabeitia Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Sevilla, Spain
  • José María Vinardell Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Sevilla, Spain
  • María del Rosario Espuny Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Sevilla, Spain
  • María Teresa Cubo Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Sevilla, Spain
  • Ramón Andrés Bellogín Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Sevilla, Spain
  • José Enrique Ruiz-Sainz Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Sevilla, Spain
  • Francisco Javier Ollero Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Sevilla, Spain

Keywords:

Sinorhizobium fredii HH103, gene rhcJ, type III secretion system, nodulation outer proteins (Nops), soybean

Abstract

It has been postulated that nodulation outer proteins (Nops) avoid effective nodulation of Sinorhizobium fredii USDA257 to nodulate with American soybeans. S. fredii HH103 naturally nodulates with both Asiatic (non-commercial) and American (commercial) soybeans. Inactivation of the S. fredii HH103 gene rhcJ, which belongs to the tts (type III secretion) cluster, abolished Nop secretion and decreased its symbiotic capacity with the two varieties of soybeans. S. fredii strains HH103 and USDA257, that only nodulates with Asian soybeans, showed different SDS-PAGE Nop profiles, indicating that these strains secrete different sets of Nops. In coinoculation experiments, the presence of strain USDA257 provoked a clear reduction of the nodulation ability of strain HH103 with the American soybean cultivar Williams. These results suggest that S. fredii Nops can act as either detrimental or beneficial symbiotic factors in a strain-cultivar-dependent manner. Differences in the flavonoid-mediated expression of rhcJ with respect to nodA were also detected. In addition, one of the Nops secreted by strain HH103 was identified as NopA. [Int Microbiol 2006; 9(2):125-133]

Downloads

Published

2010-02-25

Issue

Section

Research Articles