The complete structure of the trifoliin a lectin-binding capsular polysaccharide of Rhizobium trifolii 843

The complete structure of the acidic, extracellular, capsular polysaccharide of Rhizobium trifolii 843 has been elucidated by a combination of chemical, enzymic, and spectroscopic methods, confirming an earlier proposed sugar sequence and assigning the locations of the acyl substituents. The polysaccharide was depolymerized by a lyase into octasaccharide units which were uniform in carbohydrate composition and linkage. These units also contained a uniform distribution of acetyl and pyruvic acetal [O-(1-carboxyethylidene)] groups, and half of them were further acylated with d-3-hydroxybutanoyl groups. A much smaller proportion (<5%) of the oligomers was further acylated by a second d-3-hydroxy-butanoyl group. The locations of the substituents were determined chemically and by J-correlated, ¹H-n.m.r. spectroscopy, proton nuclear Overhauser effect (n.O.e.)_ measurements, doubie-resonance ¹H-n.m.r. spectroscopy, and ¹³C-n.m.r. spectroscopy. The composition and structure of the carbohydrate chain were determined by methylation analysis using g.l.c.-m.s. fast-atom-bombardment mass spectrometry, and n.m.r. studies on the reduced, deacylated oligomer. Structural studies were supplemented by n.m.r. analyses on the original polymer. The oligosaccharides were found to be branched octasaccharides with four sugar residues in each branch, and the carbohydrate sequence agreed well with that expected from earlier work. In the abbreviated sequence and structure (1a), the sugar residues are labelled “a” through “h”. The main chain (a–d) is composed of a 4-deoxy-α-l-threo-hex-4-enopyranosyluronic acid group (a) that is linked to O-4 of a 3-O-acetyl-d-glucosyluronic acid residue (b) which is β-linked to O-4 of a d-glucosyl residue (c). Residue c is β-linked to O-4 of the branching d-linked to O-4 of a d-glucosyl residue (d). The side chain consists of a substituted d-galactosyl group (h) which is β-linked to O-3 of residue 9 of a β-(1→4)-linked d-glucose trisaccharide (fragment e–f–g). The reducing end of the resulting tetrasaccharide (e–f–g–h) is β-linked to O-6 of the branching d-glucose residue (d). In the native polymer, this branching residue is α-linked to O-4 of the modified d-glucuronic acid residue (a) which is the unsaturated sugar in the oligomer. A small proportion of the O-2 atoms of the acetylated d-glucosyluronic acid residues is acetylated because of ester migration. The two terminal sugars (g and h) of the branch chain bear 4,6-O-(1-carboxyethylidene) groups. The d-galactosyl groups of half of the oligomers are acylated by d-3-hydroxybutanoyl groups at O-3. About 5% of the oligomers bear a second d-3-hydroxybutanoyl group at O-2 of the d-galactosyl group (h).     

Growth-phase-dependent immunodeterminants of Rhizobium trifolii lipopolysaccharide which bind trifoliin A, a white clover lectin.

The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Rhizobium trifolii 0403 was isolated at different stages of growth and was examined for its (i) ability to bind a white clover lectin (trifoliin A), (ii) immunochemical properties, and (iii) composition. There was significantly more binding of trifoliin A to purified LPS and cells in the early stationary phase than to cells in the exponential phase. Immunofluorescence and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays indicated that new antigenic determinants of the LPS appeared for brief periods on cells at the end of the lag phase and again at the beginning of the stationary phase. These new antigens were not detected on cells in midexponential or late stationary phase. Monovalent fragments of immunoglobulin G antibodies raised against the unique antigenic determinants in the LPS competitively blocked the binding of trifoliin A to cells in the early stationary phase. Gas chromatographic analysis showed that the relative quantity of several glycosyl components in the LPS increased as the culture advanced from the midexponential to the early stationary phase. In addition, LPS from cells in the early stationary phase had a higher aggregate molecular weight. Quinovosamine (2-amino-2,6-dideoxyglucose) was identified by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry as a sugar component of the LPS which had not been previously reported. D-Quinovosamine, N-acetyl-D-quinovosamine, and its n-propyl-beta-glycoside were effective hapten sugars which inhibited the binding of trifoliin A, anti-clover root antibody, and homologous antibody to these new determinants in the LPS. White clover plants had more infected root hairs after incubation with an inoculum of cells in the early stationary phase than after incubation with cells in the midexponential phase. The profound influence of the growth phase on the composition of lectin-binding polysaccharides of Rhizobium may be a major underlying cause of conflicting data among laboratories testing the lectin-recognition hypothesis. In addition, these chemical modifications may reflect mechanisms which regulate Rhizobium-root hair recognition in this nitrogen-fixing symbiosis.     

Bacteriocinogeny of Rhizobium trifolii.

Rhizobium trifolii strains differing in cell and colony morphology, streptomycin resistance, phage sensitivity pattern and infectivity to clover plants produced bacteriocins sensitive to proteases. Elimination of bacteriocin production ability wtih SDS and rifampicin treatment indicates that this feature is plasmid controlled. Elimination of bacteriocinogenic plasmid did not influence other features of R. trifolii.     

Genetic transformation in Rhizobium trifolii.

Markers controlling the synthesis of amino acids and organic bases as well as streptomycin resistance and sensitivity to acriflavine were transformed in Rhizobium trifolii. The results indicate that the str marker was transformed independently of leu, his, ade and trp markers. Co-transformation of leu and utra markers ranged from 3 to 7%, whereas that of thi and acr was 10%.     

Polyol metabolism by Rhizobium trifolii.

In Rhizobium trifolii 7000, the polyols myo-inositol, xylitol, ribitol, D-arabitol, D-mannitol, D-sorbital, and dulcitol are metabolized by inducible nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-dependent polyol dehydrogenases. Five different polyol dehydrogenases were recognized: inositol dehydrogenase, specific for inositil; ribitol dehydrogenase, specific for ribitol; D-arabitol dehydrogenase, which oxidized D-arabitol, D-mannitol, and D-sorbitol; xylitol dehydrogenase, which oxidized xylitol and D-sorbitol; and dulcitol dehydrogenase, which oxidized dulcitol, ribitol, xylitol, and sorbitol. Apart from inositil and xylitol, all of the polyols induced more than one polyol dehydrogenase and polyol transport system, but the heterologous polyol dehydrogenases and polyol transport systems were not coordinately induced by a particular polyol. With the exception of xylitol, all of the polyols tested served as growth substrates. A mutant of trifolii 7000, which was constitutive for dulcitol dehydrogenase, could also grow on xylitol.     

Genetic mapping of the chromosome of Rhizobium trifolii.

Cultures of the wild strain and auxotrophic mutants of Rhizobium trifolii T37 synchronized by means of phenylethanol have been mutagenized with nitrosoguanidine. Fifteen genetic markers were characterized in respect of their order and the time of replication based on the peaks of mutations of the genes. The time of R. trifolii chromosome replication was estimated using inhibitors of the initiation of DNA replication: rifampicin, chloramphenicol and phenylethanol. The replicative map of R. trifolii chromosome has been constructed. Taking into account the replicative map, linkages of the genes, and the bidirectional model of the Rhizobium chromosome replication, a circular genetic map of the chromosome of R. trifolii T37 was elaborated.     

Plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid in Rhizobium trifolii.

In deoxyribonucleic acid of Rhizobium trifolii centrifuged in cesium chloride-ethidium bromide equilibrium was found a sattelite peak containing covalently closed circular deoxyribonucleic acid. The plasmid had a molecular weight of about 64 x 10(6) shown by sedimentation in sucrose gradients and electron microscopy.     

Conserved Nodulation Genes in Rhizobium meliloti and Rhizobium trifolii

Plasmids which contained wild-type or mutated Rhizobium meliloti nodulation (nod) genes were introduced into Nod⁻R. trifolii mutants ANU453 and ANU851 and tested for their ability to nodulate clover. Cloned wild-type and mutated R. meliloti nod gene segments restored ANU851 to Nod⁺, with the exception of nodD mutants. Similarly, wild-type and mutant R. meliloti nod genes complemented ANU453 to Nod⁺, except for nodCII mutants. Thus, ANU851 identifies the equivalent of the R. meliloti nodD genes, and ANU453 specifies the equivalent of the R. meliloti nodCII genes. In addition, cloned wild-type R. trifolii nod genes were introduced into seven R. meliloti Nod⁻ mutants. All seven mutants were restored to Nod⁺ on alfalfa. Our results indicate that these genes represent common nodulation functions and argue for an allelic relationship between nod genes in R. meliloti and R. trifolii.     

Nitrogen fixation ability of exopolysaccharide synthesis mutants of Rhizobium sp. strain NGR234 and Rhizobium trifolii is restored by the addition of homologous exopolysaccharides.

Several transposon Tn5-induced mutants of the broad-host-range Rhizobium sp. strain NGR234 produce little or no detectable acidic exopolysaccharide (EPS) and are unable to induce nitrogen-fixing nodules on Leucaena leucocephala var. Peru or siratro plants. The ability of these Exo- mutants to induce functioning nodules on Leucaena plants was restored by coinoculation with a Sym plasmid-cured (Nod- Exo+) derivative of parent strain NGR234, purified EPS from the parent strain, or the oligosaccharide from the EPS. Coinoculation with EPS or related oligosaccharide also resulted in formation of nitrogen-fixing nodules on siratro plants. In addition, an Exo- mutant (ANU437) of Rhizobium trifolii ANU794 was able to form nitrogen-fixing nodules on white clover in the presence of added EPS or related oligosaccharide from R. trifolii ANU843. These results demonstrate that the absence of Rhizobium EPSs can result in failure of effective symbiosis with both temperate and subtropical legumes.     

Plasmids and stability of symbiotic properties of Rhizobium trifolii.

A conjugal plasmid which encodes both peak nodulation genes and nitrogenase genes, and which is labeled with the transposon Tn5, was transferred to a wild-type Rhizobium trifolii strain to examine the stability and expression of the host range and fixation (Fix+) phenotypes. Transconjugates were isolated which were shown to initially form nitrogen-fixing nodules (Nod+ Fix+) on both clovers and peas. These hybrid strains were then repeatedly passaged through either pea or clover nodules or onto a solid agar medium to determine whether these broadened-host-range characteristics were stably maintained. An instability was noted in the capacity of some of these hybrids to form nitrogen-fixing nodules on all of the host plants used. The broadened nodulation ability was, however, more readily maintained. In some cases, the changes in the Nod+ Fix+ phenotype could be attributed to demonstrable changes in the plasmid profile of the hybrid strains, whereas in other cases no demonstrable plasmid alterations could be detected.     

The competitive ability and symbiotic effectiveness of doubly labelled antibiotic resistant mutants of Rhizobium trifolii

Doubly labelled mutants of Rhizobium trifolii , resistant to streptomycin and spectinomycin, were studied in respect of nodulating competitiveness and symbiotic effectiveness relative to the 'wild-type' parent strains using Trifolium repens cv. S184 as the host plant.
A combination of antibiotic resistance, differential absorption of congo-red and the fluorescent antibody technique permitted the rapid differentiation of all Rhizobium strains used, either from mixed inocula or from nodules. The doubly labelled antibiotic resistant mutants were inferior in terms of competitive ability for nodulation with an ineffective strain compared with the 'wild-type' parent strains. A rapid method for evaluating effective antibiotic resistant strains for nodulating competitiveness is suggested. All the mutants examined were also found to be less symbiotically effective than the respective 'wild-type' strains although these differences generally did not reach statistical significance. The reduced symbiotic effectiveness of the antibiotic resistant mutants was associated with an increase in magnitude of the variances for shoot dry weights, relative to that shown by the parent strains. A possible explanation for this phenomenon is presented.     

Properties of some bacteriocins produced by Rhizobium trifolii.

Bacteriocins produced by six strains of Rhizobium trifolii were found to be of the relatively low molecular weight, non-phage type. The molecular weights ranged from approximately 1-8 X 105 to 2-0 X 105. All were of protein composition, as indicated by buoyant density (1-32 to 1-34 g/cm3) in CsC1 and by sensitivity to proteolytic enzymes. They were resistant to RNAase but sensitive to DNAase. The six bacteriocins could further be separated into two subgroups on the basis of sensitivity to extremes of pH, binding to filter membranes, activity spectrum on sensitive strains of R. trifolii, and possibly mode of action on sensitive bacteria. Bacteriocin production occurred spontaneously during the early-to mid-exponential phase of bacterial growth in broth culture.