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Introduction of a novel pathway for IAA biosynthesis to rhizobia alters vetch root nodule development

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Abstract

We introduced into Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae LPR1105 a new pathway for the biosynthesis of the auxin, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), under the control of a stationary phase-activated promoter active both in free-living bacteria and bacteroids. The newly introduced genes are the iaaM gene from Pseudomonas savastanoi and the tms2 gene from Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Free-living bacteria harbouring the promoter-iaaMtms2 construct release into the growth medium 14-fold more IAA than the wild-type parental strain. This IAA overproducing R. l. viciae, the RD20 strain, elicits the development of vetch root nodules containing up to 60-fold more IAA than nodules infected by the wild-type strain LPR1105. Vetch root nodules derived from RD20 are fewer in number per plant, heavier in terms of dry weight and show an enlarged and more active meristem. A significant increase in acetylene reduction activity was measured in nodules elicited in vetch by RD20.

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Acknowledgments

This work was partially supported by the European Union INCO-DEV SONGLINES grant, project ICA4-CT-2001-10059 and by Italian MIUR, project FIRB RBNE0118BHE. We thank C. Sole (in memory) for technical assistance.

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Author notes

  1. Serena Camerini

    Present address: Istituto Superiore di Sanità, viale Regina Elena, 299, 00161, Rome, Italy

  2. Beatrice Senatore

    Present address: Dipartimento di Ingegneria chimica alimentare, Università di Salerno, Fisciano (SA), Italy

  3. Esther Imperlini

    Present address: IRCSS, Fondazione SDN via Gianturco, 113, 80143, Naples, Italy

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, CNR, via P. Castellino 111, 80131, Naples, Italy

    Serena Camerini, Beatrice Senatore, Enza Lonardo, Esther Imperlini, Carmen Bianco & Roberto Defez

  2. SENFIMIZO, Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy

    Giancarlo Moschetti

  3. CRA-ISPORT, Research Institute for Vegetable Crops, Montanaso Lombardo (LO), Italy

    Giuseppe L. Rotino & Bruno Campion

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  1. Serena Camerini
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  9. Roberto Defez
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Correspondence to Roberto Defez.

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Communicated by Ursula Priefer.

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Camerini, S., Senatore, B., Lonardo, E. et al. Introduction of a novel pathway for IAA biosynthesis to rhizobia alters vetch root nodule development. Arch Microbiol 190, 67–77 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-008-0365-7

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