Aldonic Acids: A Novel Family of nod Gene Inducers of Mesorhizobium loti, Rhizobium lupini, and Sinorhizobium meliloti

Molecular signals, such as flavonoids (or nonflavonoid type), nod gene-inducers, and bacterial lipochitin oligosac-charides (LCOs) act as modulators of species specificity during early stages of infection in Rhizobium spp.-legume interactions. The fact that signaling in Lupinus albus remains to be d...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Hubert Gagnon, Ragai K. Ibrahim
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: The American Phytopathological Society 1998-10-01
Series:Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions
Online Access:https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/10.1094/MPMI.1998.11.10.988
_version_ 1811264515846701056
author Hubert Gagnon
Ragai K. Ibrahim
author_facet Hubert Gagnon
Ragai K. Ibrahim
author_sort Hubert Gagnon
collection DOAJ
description Molecular signals, such as flavonoids (or nonflavonoid type), nod gene-inducers, and bacterial lipochitin oligosac-charides (LCOs) act as modulators of species specificity during early stages of infection in Rhizobium spp.-legume interactions. The fact that signaling in Lupinus albus remains to be determined prompted us to investigate the flavonoid signal responsible for nod gene induction in Rhizobium lupini. A screening method was used based on the measurement of β-galactosidase activity of R. lupini strains harboring nodC::lacZ fusions in the presence of (i) authentic lupin isoflavones, (ii) carbohydrate-like inducers, and (iii) high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC)-fractionated lupin seed effusates and root exudates, as putative nod gene inducers. The results indicate that both erythronic and tetronic acids (4-C sugar acids) led to low but significant increases in β-galactosidase activities, compared with the controls. In addition, lupi-wighteone, a monoprenylated isoflavone, exerts a synergistic effect with the carbohydrate-like inducers, compared with other isoflavone treatments. The natural occurrence of aldonic acids in L. albus root exudates and seed effusates has been demonstrated by HPLC analysis. When tested with nodC::lacZ fusions, tetronic acid resulted in nod gene induction in Sinorhizobium meliloti. In addition, a combination of luteolin and tetronic acid promotes further increases in S. meliloti nod gene expression, as shown by β-galactosidase assays. Incorporation studies with [14C]LCO precursors confirmed the inductive role of both erythronic and tetronic acids in promoting LCO biosynthesis in R. lupini cultures, and of tetronic acid in Mesorhizobium loti and S. meliloti. Hydrolysis of the LCOs with various enzymes substantiated their putative identities. These results are discussed in relation to the impact of these unusual signal molecules on our knowledge of flavonoid signaling in Rhizobium-legume symbiosis.
first_indexed 2024-04-12T20:05:40Z
format Article
id doaj.art-61e54392c7a64a89bccab417a8cc1aab
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 0894-0282
1943-7706
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-12T20:05:40Z
publishDate 1998-10-01
publisher The American Phytopathological Society
record_format Article
series Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions
spelling doaj.art-61e54392c7a64a89bccab417a8cc1aab2022-12-22T03:18:24ZengThe American Phytopathological SocietyMolecular Plant-Microbe Interactions0894-02821943-77061998-10-01111098899810.1094/MPMI.1998.11.10.988Aldonic Acids: A Novel Family of nod Gene Inducers of Mesorhizobium loti, Rhizobium lupini, and Sinorhizobium melilotiHubert GagnonRagai K. IbrahimMolecular signals, such as flavonoids (or nonflavonoid type), nod gene-inducers, and bacterial lipochitin oligosac-charides (LCOs) act as modulators of species specificity during early stages of infection in Rhizobium spp.-legume interactions. The fact that signaling in Lupinus albus remains to be determined prompted us to investigate the flavonoid signal responsible for nod gene induction in Rhizobium lupini. A screening method was used based on the measurement of β-galactosidase activity of R. lupini strains harboring nodC::lacZ fusions in the presence of (i) authentic lupin isoflavones, (ii) carbohydrate-like inducers, and (iii) high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC)-fractionated lupin seed effusates and root exudates, as putative nod gene inducers. The results indicate that both erythronic and tetronic acids (4-C sugar acids) led to low but significant increases in β-galactosidase activities, compared with the controls. In addition, lupi-wighteone, a monoprenylated isoflavone, exerts a synergistic effect with the carbohydrate-like inducers, compared with other isoflavone treatments. The natural occurrence of aldonic acids in L. albus root exudates and seed effusates has been demonstrated by HPLC analysis. When tested with nodC::lacZ fusions, tetronic acid resulted in nod gene induction in Sinorhizobium meliloti. In addition, a combination of luteolin and tetronic acid promotes further increases in S. meliloti nod gene expression, as shown by β-galactosidase assays. Incorporation studies with [14C]LCO precursors confirmed the inductive role of both erythronic and tetronic acids in promoting LCO biosynthesis in R. lupini cultures, and of tetronic acid in Mesorhizobium loti and S. meliloti. Hydrolysis of the LCOs with various enzymes substantiated their putative identities. These results are discussed in relation to the impact of these unusual signal molecules on our knowledge of flavonoid signaling in Rhizobium-legume symbiosis.https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/10.1094/MPMI.1998.11.10.988
spellingShingle Hubert Gagnon
Ragai K. Ibrahim
Aldonic Acids: A Novel Family of nod Gene Inducers of Mesorhizobium loti, Rhizobium lupini, and Sinorhizobium meliloti
Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions
title Aldonic Acids: A Novel Family of nod Gene Inducers of Mesorhizobium loti, Rhizobium lupini, and Sinorhizobium meliloti
title_full Aldonic Acids: A Novel Family of nod Gene Inducers of Mesorhizobium loti, Rhizobium lupini, and Sinorhizobium meliloti
title_fullStr Aldonic Acids: A Novel Family of nod Gene Inducers of Mesorhizobium loti, Rhizobium lupini, and Sinorhizobium meliloti
title_full_unstemmed Aldonic Acids: A Novel Family of nod Gene Inducers of Mesorhizobium loti, Rhizobium lupini, and Sinorhizobium meliloti
title_short Aldonic Acids: A Novel Family of nod Gene Inducers of Mesorhizobium loti, Rhizobium lupini, and Sinorhizobium meliloti
title_sort aldonic acids a novel family of nod gene inducers of mesorhizobium loti rhizobium lupini and sinorhizobium meliloti
url https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/10.1094/MPMI.1998.11.10.988
work_keys_str_mv AT hubertgagnon aldonicacidsanovelfamilyofnodgeneinducersofmesorhizobiumlotirhizobiumlupiniandsinorhizobiummeliloti
AT ragaikibrahim aldonicacidsanovelfamilyofnodgeneinducersofmesorhizobiumlotirhizobiumlupiniandsinorhizobiummeliloti