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Rhizobium leguminosarum methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein genes are down-regulated in the pea nodule

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Abstract

Regulation of methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein (MCP) genes of Rhizobium leguminosarum was studied under symbiotic conditions. Transcriptional fusions using both β-galactosidase and β-glucuronidase genes within two different mcp genes demonstrated that mcp expression decreased significantly during nodulation. Immunoblots using an anti-MCP antibody detected MCPs in free-living cells but not in bacteroids. Down-regulation during nodulation was not dependent upon known regulatory proteins involved in induction of expression of genes involved in nitrogen fixation. Environmental conditions found in the bacteroid that may trigger down-regulation were investigated by growing free-living cultures under a variety of growth conditions. Growth under low oxygen concentration or using succinate as a sole carbon source did not lower expression of the mcp gene fusions.

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Abbreviations

Apr:

Ampicillin resistance

Gmr:

Gentamicin resistance

MCP:

Methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein

Nmr:

Neomycin resistance

nt:

Nucleotides

OD:

Optical density

Smr:

Streptomycin resistance

Spr:

Spectinomycin

Tcr:

Tetracycline resistance

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. J.S. Parkinson for the generous gift of anti-TSR antibody, Dr. K. Bergman for helpful discussions, and Ms. E. Vanderlinde for technical assistance. The gift of pRR71-H by Dr. D. Helinski is gratefully acknowledged. This work was supported by an NSERC discovery grant to M.F. Hynes.

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Author notes

  1. Christopher K. Yost

    Present address: Biology Department, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, S4S 0A2, Canada

  2. Jürgen Quandt

    Present address: Plant Biotechnology, Alberta Research Council Inc, P.O. Bag 4000, Vegreville, Alberta, T9C 1T4, Canada

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada

    Christopher K. Yost, Kate L. Del Bel, Jürgen Quandt & Michael F. Hynes

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  1. Christopher K. Yost
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Correspondence to Michael F. Hynes.

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Yost, C.K., Del Bel, K.L., Quandt, J. et al. Rhizobium leguminosarum methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein genes are down-regulated in the pea nodule. Arch Microbiol 182, 505–513 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-004-0736-7

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