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IN INOCULANTS Nodulaid - 17th International Nitrogen Fixation ...

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17 th <strong>International</strong> Congress on <strong>Nitrogen</strong> <strong>Fixation</strong><br />

Fremantle, Western Australia<br />

27 November – 1 December 2011<br />

Title Role of the Cpx two component regulatory system and a MFS transporter in the symbiosis<br />

between Sinorhizobium meliloti and leguminous plants<br />

Authors Mário R. Santos, Andreia T. Marques, Leonilde M. Moreira<br />

Poster Board Number 17<br />

IBB-Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centro de Engenharia Biológica e<br />

Química, Instituto Superior Técnico<br />

Sinorhizobium meliloti establishes a symbiotic nitrogen fixation relationship with Medicago sativa in a process<br />

involving signalling between rhizobia and the legume plant. There are several bacterial molecular determinants<br />

of symbiosis and we recently added protein TolC to those determinants [1]. A S. meliloti tolC mutant was strongly<br />

affected in the resistance to antimicrobial agents, presented higher susceptibility to osmotic/oxidative stresses<br />

and also had affected secretion of Ca 2+ -binding proteins, of exopolysaccharides and Nod-factors. Furthermore,<br />

S. meliloti tolC mutant induced a reduced number of nodules, which were unable to fix nitrogen in plant roots.<br />

The comparison of the transcriptome of the tolC mutant to that of the wild-type strain identified 1809 genes<br />

differently expressed, including those encoding proteins involved in central metabolism, protection against<br />

stresses and transport. From these genes, the ones with the highest expression in the tolC mutant included the<br />

homologues of the sensor histidine kinase CpxA, the response regulator CpxR and the MFS (Major Facilitor<br />

Superfamily) transporter encoded by genes SMc03167 and SMc03168 [2]. To determine whether these genes<br />

are involved in the symbiotic process, insertion mutants of cpx homologues and deletion mutants of the MFS<br />

genes were constructed. Phenotypic tests performed with cpx insertion mutants showed minor differences in<br />

motility and in symbiosis when compared to the wild-type strain. Deletion of MFS encoding genes had an effect<br />

in stress resistance, pH tolerance, and a slight effect in the number of nodules. Further studies are being<br />

conducted to determine other functions for these gene products in S. meliloti biology.<br />

132<br />

2011

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