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Systematic insertion mutagenesis of GntR family transcriptional regulator genes in Sinorhizobium meliloti

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  • Molecular Genetics
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Chinese Science Bulletin

Abstract

GntR-type transcriptional regulators regulate the most diverse biological processes in bacteria. Although GntR-type transcriptional regulators consist of the second largest family of transcriptional regulators in Sinorhizobium meliloti, little is known about their functions. In this study, we investigated 54 putative genes encoding GntR family of transcriptional regulators in S. meliloti Rm1021. Secondary structure analysis of the C-terminal domain of these putative transcriptional regulators indicated that thirty-seven were members of the FadR subfamily, ten of the HutC subfamily and five of the MocR subfamily. The remaining two did not fall into any specific subfamily category, and may form two new subfamilies. The 54 gntR genes were mutagenized by plasmid insertion mutagenesis to investigate their roles. We found that, of the 54 mutants, only the gtrA1 and gtrB1 mutants had slower growth rates and cell maximal yields on both rich medium and minimal medium, and lower cell motility on swarming plate than wild type Rm1021. All mutants, with the exception of gtrA1 and gtrB1, can establish effective symbioses with alfalfa. Plants inoculated with gtrA1 and gtrB1 mutants grew shorter than those inoculated with wild type, and formed relatively smaller, round and light pink nodules, which were mainly located on lateral roots. And there was an abnormal increase in the number of nodules induced by both mutants. These results suggested that the gtrA1 and gtrB1 mutants were symbiotically deficient. Our work presents a global overview of GntR-like transcriptional regulators involved in symbiosis in S. meliloti, and provides new insight into the functions of GntR-like transcriptional regulators.

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Author notes

  1. Yu AiYuan

    Present address: Department of Food Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, 830052, China

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China

    Yu AiYuan, Chen AiMin, Wang Yi, Zhu JiaBi, Yu GuanQiao & Wang YanZhang

  2. Biological Sciences Department, Lehman College, The City University of New York, New York, 104681, USA

    Luo Li

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  1. Yu AiYuan
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  2. Chen AiMin
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  3. Wang Yi
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  4. Luo Li
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  5. Zhu JiaBi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wang YanZhang.

Additional information

Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 30570132), Shanghai Municipal Committee of Science and Technology (Grant No. 063958002) and the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. CB108901)

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Yu, A., Chen, A., Wang, Y. et al. Systematic insertion mutagenesis of GntR family transcriptional regulator genes in Sinorhizobium meliloti . Chin. Sci. Bull. 53, 215–226 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-008-0017-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-008-0017-y

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