http://kirstenhofmockel.org/sites/kirstenhofmockel.org/files/Ingela%20Noredal%20Throback%20et%20al.pdf

Reassessing PCR primers targeting nirS, nirK and nosZ genes for community surveys of denitrifying bacteria with DGGE.

Rhizobia are symbiotic bacteria that elicit the formation on leguminous plants of specialized organs, root nodules, in which they fix nitrogen. In various Rhizobium species, such as R. leguminosarum and R. meliloti, common and host-specific nodulation (nod) genes have been identified which determine infection and nodulation of specific hosts. Common nodABC genes as well as host-specific nodH and nodQ genes were shown recently, using bioassays, to be involved in the production of extracellular Nod signals. Using R. meliloti strains overproducing symbiotic Nod factors, we have purified the major alfalfa-specific signal, NodRm-1, by gel permeation, ion exchange and C18 reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography. From mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, (35)S-labelling and chemical modification studies, NodRm-1 was shown to be a sulphated beta-1,4-tetrasaccharide of D-glucosamine (Mr 1,102) in which three amino groups were acetylated and one was acylated with a C16 bis-unsaturated fatty acid. This purified Nod signal specifically elicited root hair deformation on the homologous host when added in nanomolar concentration.

Symbiotic host-specificity of Rhizobium meliloti is determined by a sulphated and acylated glucosamine oligosaccharide signal.

A system was developed for the detection of denitrifying bacteria by the amplification of specific nitrite reductase gene fragments with PCR. Primer sequences were found for the amplification of fragments from both nitrite reductase genes (nirK and nirS) after comparative sequence analysis. Whenever amplification was tried with these primers, the known nir type of denitrifying laboratory cultures could be confirmed. Likewise, the method allowed a determination of the nir type of five laboratory strains. The nirK gene could be amplified from Blastobacter denitrificans, Alcaligenes xylosoxidans, and Alcaligenes sp. (DSM 30128); the nirS gene was amplified from Alcaligenes eutrophus DSM 530 and from the denitrifying isolate IFAM 3698. For each of the two genes, at least one primer combination amplified successfully for all of the test strains. Specific amplification products were not obtained with nondenitrifying bacteria or with strains of the other nir type. The specificity of the amplified products was confirmed by subsequent sequencing. These results suggest the suitability of the method for the qualitative detection of denitrifying bacteria in environmental samples. This was shown by applying one generally amplifying primer combination for each nir gene developed in this study to total DNA preparations from aquatic habitats.

Development of PCR primer systems for amplification of nitrite reductase genes (nirK and nirS) to detect denitrifying bacteria in environmental samples.

The genetic analysis of genes from prokaryotic species for which experimental genetic systems have not yet been developed is often limited by the difficulty of producing mutations in those genes. We report here a general technique applicable to Gram-negative prokaryotes for site-directed mutagenesis of cloned DNA fragments which we have applied to the study of the symbiotic nitrogen fixation genes of Rhizobium meliloti. In particular, we mutagenized cloned R. meliloti restriction fragments in Escherichia coli with transposon Tn5 and then replaced the wild-type parental DNA sequences with the mutant DNA sequences in the R. meliloti genome. Using this method we show that an R. meliloti DNA restriction fragment, cloned previously on the basis of homology to Klebsiella pneumoniae nif genes1, contains gene(s) essential for symbiotic nitrogen fixation. In addition, we use this method to construct a physical genetic map of a subset of the R. meliloti nif genes.

A general method for site-directed mutagenesis in prokaryotes.

A new Rhizobium species that nodulates Phaseolus vulgaris L. and Leucaena spp. is proposed on the basis of the results of multilocus enzyme electrophoresis, DNA-DNA hybridization, an analysis of ribosomal DNA organization, a sequence analysis of 16S rDNA, and an analysis of phenotypic characteristics. This taxon, Rhizobium tropici sp. nov., was previously named Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar phaseoli (type II strains) and was recognized by its host range (which includes Leucaena spp.) and nif gene organization. In contrast to R. leguminosarum biovar phaseoli, R. tropici strains tolerate high temperatures and high levels of acidity in culture and are symbiotically more stable. We identified two subgroups within R. tropici and describe them in this paper.

Rhizobium tropici, a novel species nodulating Phaseolus vulgaris L. beans and Leucaena sp. trees.

A manual for the practical study of root-nodule bacteria , A manual for the practical study of root-nodule bacteria , مرکز فناوری اطلاعات و اطلاع رسانی کشاورزی

J. A. Callow

Papers

A Manual for the Practical Study of Root-Nodule Bacteria.