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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, October 2004, p. 5891-5897, Vol. 70, No. 10
0099-2240/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.70.10.5891-5897.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Expression of an Exogenous 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-Carboxylate Deaminase Gene in Sinorhizobium meliloti Increases Its Ability To Nodulate Alfalfa

Wenbo Ma, Trevor C. Charles, and Bernard R. Glick^*

Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Received 12 February 2004/ Accepted 10 June 2004

1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase has been found in various plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, including rhizobia. This enzyme degrades ACC, the immediate precursor of ethylene, and thus decreases the biosynthesis of ethylene in higher plants. The ACC deaminase of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae 128C53K was previously reported to be able to enhance nodulation of peas. The ACC deaminase structural gene (acdS) and its upstream regulatory gene, a leucine-responsive regulatory protein (LRP)-like gene (lrpL), from R. leguminosarum bv. viciae 128C53K were introduced into Sinorhizobium meliloti, which does not produce this enzyme, in two different ways: through a plasmid vector and by in situ transposon replacement. The resulting ACC deaminase-producing S. meliloti strains showed 35 to 40% greater efficiency in nodulating Medicago sativa (alfalfa), likely by reducing ethylene production in the host plants. Furthermore, the ACC deaminase-producing S. meliloti strain was more competitive in nodulation than the wild-type strain. We postulate that the increased competitiveness might be related to utilization of ACC as a nutrient within the infection threads.

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* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada. Phone: (519) 888-4567, ext. 5028. Fax: (519) 746-0614. E-mail: glick{at}sciborg.uwaterloo.ca.

Present address: Department of Botany, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B2, Canada.

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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, October 2004, p. 5891-5897, Vol. 70, No. 10
0099-2240/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.70.10.5891-5897.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

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