Previous Article | Next Article 
Applied and Environmental Microbiology, March 2004, p. 1537-1544, Vol. 70, No. 3
0099-2240/04/$08.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/AEM.70.3.1537-1544.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
2-O-Methylation of Fucosyl Residues of a Rhizobial Lipopolysaccharide Is Increased in Response to Host Exudate and Is Eliminated in a Symbiotically Defective Mutant
K. Dale Noel,* Jodie M. Box, and Valerie J. Bonne
Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Received 8 July 2003/
Accepted 1 December 2003
When Rhizobium etli CE3 was grown in the presence of Phaseolus vulgaris seed extracts containing anthocyanins, its lipopolysaccharide (LPS) sugar composition was changed in two ways: greatly decreased content of what is normally the terminal residue of the LPS, di-O-methylfucose, and a doubling of the 2-O-methylation of other fucose residues in the LPS O antigen. R. etli strain CE395 was isolated after Tn5 mutagenesis of strain CE3 by screening for mutant colonies that did not change antigenically in the presence of seed extract. The LPS of this strain completely lacked 2-O-methylfucose, regardless of whether anthocyanins were present during growth. The mutant gave only pseudonodules in association with P. vulgaris. Interpretation of this phenotype was complicated by a second LPS defect exhibited by the mutant: its LPS population had only about 50% of the normal amount of O-antigen-containing LPS (LPS I). The latter defect could be suppressed genetically such that the resulting strain (CE395
395) synthesized the normal amount of an LPS I that still lacked 2-O-methylfucose residues. Strain CE395
395 did not elicit pseudonodules but resulted in significantly slower nodule development, fewer nodules, and less nitrogenase activity than lps+ strains. The relative symbiotic deficiency was more severe when seeds were planted and inoculated with bacteria before they germinated. These results support previous conclusions that the relative amount of LPS I on the bacterial surface is crucial in symbiosis, but LPS structural features, such as 2-O-methylation of fucose, also may facilitate symbiotic interactions.
* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Biological Sciences, P.O. Box 1881, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53201. Phone: (414) 288-1475. Fax: (414) 288-7357. E-mail:
dale.noel{at}mu.edu.
Applied and Environmental Microbiology, March 2004, p. 1537-1544, Vol. 70, No. 3
0099-2240/04/$08.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/AEM.70.3.1537-1544.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
This article has been cited by other articles:
-
Forsberg, L. S., Carlson, R. W.
(2008). Structural Characterization of the Primary O-antigenic Polysaccharide of the Rhizobium leguminosarum 3841 Lipopolysaccharide and Identification of a New 3-Acetimidoylamino-3-deoxyhexuronic Acid Glycosyl Component: A UNIQUE O-METHYLATED GLYCAN OF UNIFORM SIZE, CONTAINING 6-DEOXY-3-O-METHYL-D-TALOSE, N-ACETYLQUINOVOSAMINE, AND RHIZOAMINURONIC ACID (3-ACETIMIDOYLAMINO-3-DEOXY-D-GLUCO-HEXURONIC ACID). J. Biol. Chem.
283: 16037-16050
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
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]
-
D'Haeze, W., Leoff, C., Freshour, G., Noel, K. D., Carlson, R. W.
(2007). Rhizobium etli CE3 Bacteroid Lipopolysaccharides Are Structurally Similar but Not Identical to Those Produced by Cultured CE3 Bacteria. J. Biol. Chem.
282: 17101-17113
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Broughton, W. J., Hanin, M., Relic, B., Kopcinska, J., Golinowski, W., Simsek, S., Ojanen-Reuhs, T., Reuhs, B., Marie, C., Kobayashi, H., Bordogna, B., Le Quere, A., Jabbouri, S., Fellay, R., Perret, X., Deakin, W. J.
(2006). Flavonoid-Inducible Modifications to Rhamnan O Antigens Are Necessary for Rhizobium sp. Strain NGR234-Legume Symbioses.. J. Bacteriol.
188: 3654-3663
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Reuhs, B. L., Relic, B., Forsberg, L. S., Marie, C., Ojanen-Reuhs, T., Stephens, S. B., Wong, C.-H., Jabbouri, S., Broughton, W. J.
(2005). Structural Characterization of a Flavonoid-Inducible Pseudomonas aeruginosa A-Band-Like O Antigen of Rhizobium sp. Strain NGR234, Required for the Formation of Nitrogen-Fixing Nodules. J. Bacteriol.
187: 6479-6487
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Mattos, K. A., Todeschini, A. R., Heise, N., Jones, C., Previato, J. O., Mendonca-Previato, L.
(2005). Nitrogen-fixing bacterium Burkholderia brasiliensis produces a novel yersiniose A-containing O-polysaccharide. Glycobiology
15: 313-321
[Abstract]
[Full Text]