This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Brom, S Articles by Palacios, R Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Brom, S Articles by Palacios, R

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J Bacteriol. 1992 August; 174(16): 5183-5189

research-article

Different plasmids of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. phaseoli are required for optimal symbiotic performance.

Departamento de Genética Molecular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos.

ABSTRACT

Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. phaseoli CFN42 contains six plasmids (pa to pf), and pd has been shown to be the symbiotic plasmid. To determine the participation of the other plasmids in cellular functions, we used a positive selection scheme to isolate derivatives cured of each plasmid. These were obtained for all except one (pe), of which only deleted derivatives were recovered. In regard to symbiosis, we found that in addition to pd, pb is also indispensable for nodulation, partly owing to the presence of genes involved in lipopolysaccharide synthesis. The positive contribution of pb, pc, pe, and pf to the symbiotic capacity of the strain was revealed in competition experiments. The strains that were cured (or deleted for pe) were significantly less competitive than the wild type. Analysis of the growth capacity of the cured strains showed the participation of the plasmids in free-living conditions: the pf- strain was unable to grow on minimal medium, while strains cured of any other plasmid had significantly reduced growth capacity in this medium. Even on rich medium, strains lacking pb or pc or deleted for pe had a diminished growth rate compared with the wild type. Complementation of the cured strains with the corresponding wild-type plasmid restored their original phenotypes, thus confirming that the effects seen were due only to loss of plasmids. The results indicate global participation of the Rhizobium genome in symbiotic and free-living functions.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Garcia-de los Santos, A., Lopez, E., Cubillas, C. A., Noel, K. D., Brom, S., Romero, D. (2008). Requirement of a Plasmid-Encoded Catalase for Survival of Rhizobium etli CFN42 in a Polyphenol-Rich Environment. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 2398-2403 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Karunakaran, R., Ebert, K., Harvey, S., Leonard, M. E., Ramachandran, V., Poole, P. S. (2006). Thiamine Is Synthesized by a Salvage Pathway in Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae Strain 3841.. J. Bacteriol. 188: 6661-6668 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Yost, C. K., Rath, A. M., Noel, T. C., Hynes, M. F. (2006). Characterization of genes involved in erythritol catabolism in Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae. Microbiology 152: 2061-2074 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Gonzalez, V., Santamaria, R. I., Bustos, P., Hernandez-Gonzalez, I., Medrano-Soto, A., Moreno-Hagelsieb, G., Janga, S. C., Ramirez, M. A., Jimenez-Jacinto, V., Collado-Vides, J., Davila, G. (2006). The partitioned Rhizobium etli genome: Genetic and metabolic redundancy in seven interacting replicons. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 103: 3834-3839 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Perez-Mendoza, D., Sepulveda, E., Pando, V., Munoz, S., Nogales, J., Olivares, J., Soto, M. J., Herrera-Cervera, J. A., Romero, D., Brom, S., Sanjuan, J. (2005). Identification of the rctA Gene, Which Is Required for Repression of Conjugative Transfer of Rhizobial Symbiotic Megaplasmids. J. Bacteriol. 187: 7341-7350 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Zuniga-Castillo, J., Romero, D., Martinez-Salazar, J. M. (2004). The Recombination Genes addAB Are Not Restricted to Gram-Positive Bacteria: Genetic Analysis of the Recombination Initiation Enzymes RecF and AddAB in Rhizobium etli. J. Bacteriol. 186: 7905-7913 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Brom, S., Girard, L., Tun-Garrido, C., Garcia-de los Santos, A., Bustos, P., Gonzalez, V., Romero, D. (2004). Transfer of the Symbiotic Plasmid of Rhizobium etli CFN42 Requires Cointegration with p42a, Which May Be Mediated by Site-Specific Recombination. J. Bacteriol. 186: 7538-7548 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Perez-Mendoza, D., Dominguez-Ferreras, A., Munoz, S., Soto, M. J., Olivares, J., Brom, S., Girard, L., Herrera-Cervera, J. A., Sanjuan, J. (2004). Identification of Functional mob Regions in Rhizobium etli: Evidence for Self-Transmissibility of the Symbiotic Plasmid pRetCFN42d. J. Bacteriol. 186: 5753-5761 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Gonzalez, J. E., Marketon, M. M. (2003). Quorum Sensing in Nitrogen-Fixing Rhizobia. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 67: 574-592 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Tun-Garrido, C., Bustos, P., Gonzalez, V., Brom, S. (2003). Conjugative Transfer of p42a from Rhizobium etli CFN42, Which Is Required for Mobilization of the Symbiotic Plasmid, Is Regulated by Quorum Sensing. J. Bacteriol. 185: 1681-1692 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Brom, S., Girard, L., Garcia-de los Santos, A., Sanjuan-Pinilla, J. M., Olivares, J., Sanjuan, J. (2002). Conservation of Plasmid-Encoded Traits among Bean-Nodulating Rhizobium Species. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 68: 2555-2561 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Lopez, O., Morera, C., Miranda-Rios, J., Girard, L., Romero, D., Soberon, M. (2001). Regulation of Gene Expression in Response to Oxygen in Rhizobium etli: Role of FnrN in fixNOQP Expression and in Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation. J. Bacteriol. 183: 6999-7006 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Valencia-Morales, E., Romero, D. (2000). Recombination Enhancement by Replication (RER) in Rhizobium etli. Genetics 154: 971-983 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Vinuesa, P., Reuhs, B. L., Breton, C., Werner, D. (1999). Identification of a Plasmid-Borne Locus in Rhizobium etli KIM5s Involved in Lipopolysaccharide O-Chain Biosynthesis and Nodulation of Phaseolus vulgaris. J. Bacteriol. 181: 5606-5614 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Rodriguez, C., Romero, D. (1998). Multiple Recombination Events Maintain Sequence Identity Among Members of the Nitrogenase Multigene Family in Rhizobium etli. Genetics 149: 785-794 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Wernegreen, J. J., Harding, E. E., Riley, M. A. (1997). Rhizobium gone native: Unexpected plasmid stability of indigenous Rhizobium leguminosarum. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94: 5483-5488 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Lerouge, I., Laeremans, T., Verreth, C., Vanderleyden, J., Van Soom, C., Tobin, A., Carlson, R. W. (2001). Identification of an ATP-binding Cassette Transporter for Export of the O-antigen across the Inner Membrane in Rhizobium etli Based on the Genetic, Functional, and Structural Analysis of an lps Mutant Deficient in O-antigen. J. Biol. Chem. 276: 17190-17198 [Abstract] [Full Text]