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Role of rhizobial lipo-oligosacharides in root nodule formation on leguminous plants

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Abstract

During recent years signals leading to the early stages of nodulation of legumes by rhizobia have been identified. Plant flavonoids induce rhizobialnod genes that are essential for nodulation. Most of thenod gene products are involved in the biosynthesis of lipo-oligosaccharide molecules. The commonnodABC genes are minimally required for the synthesis of all lipo-oligosaccharides. Host-specificnod gene products in a givenRhizobium species are responsible for synthesis or addition of various moieties to those basic lipo-oligosaccharide molecules. For example, inR. leguminosarum, thenodFEL operon is involved in the production of lipo-oligosaccharide signals that mediate host specificity. AnodFE-determined highly unsaturated fatty acid (trans-2, trans-4, trans-6, cis-11-octadecatetraenoic acid) is essential for inducing nodule meristems and pre-infection thread structures on the host plantVicia sativa. Lipo-oligosaccharides also trigger autoregulation of nodulation in pea and, if applied in excessive amounts to a legume, can prevent nodulation and thereby might play a role in competition. During our studies on the biosynthesis of lipo-oligosaccharides, we discovered that, besides the lipo-oligosaccharides, other metabolites are synthesizedde novo after induction of thenod genes. These novel metabolites appeared to be phospholipids, containing either one of the three fatty acids which are made by the action of NodFE inR. leguminosarum.

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  1. Otto Geiger

    Present address: Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, Leiden University, The Netherlands

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Technische Universität Berlin, Institut für Biotechnologie, Fachgebiet Technische Biochemie, Seestrasse 13, 13353, Berlin, Germany

    Otto Geiger, Tita Ritsema, Anton A. N. van Brussel, Teun Tak, André H. M. Wijfjes, Guido V. Bloemberg, Herman P. Spaink & Ben J. J. Lugtenberg

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  1. Otto Geiger
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  2. Tita Ritsema
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  6. Guido V. Bloemberg
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  8. Ben J. J. Lugtenberg
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Geiger, O., Ritsema, T., van Brussel, A.A.N. et al. Role of rhizobial lipo-oligosacharides in root nodule formation on leguminous plants. Plant Soil 161, 81–89 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02183087

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