Activation of extra copies of genes coding for nitrogenase in Rhodopseudomonas capsulata

Biological nitrogen fixation requires the nitrogenase enzyme complex, ATP, and a strong reductant. Klebsiella pneumoniae contains 15 linked nitrogen fixation (nif) genes, three of which, nifH, nifD and nifK have been sufficiently conserved in evolution that cloned K. pneumoniae nifHDK DNA will hybridize to DNA sequences from every nitrogen-fixing bacterium examined to date, including the purple, non-sulphur bacterium Rhodopseudomonas capsulata, in which one complete nifHDK operon has been mapped. Using cloned K. pneumoniae nifHDK DNA we report here that R. capsulata contains multiple copies of the genes for nitrogenase components. Two regions containing sequences homologous to all three nif structural genes have been identified, and mutations in one region produced a Nif- phenotype. Nif+ pseudorevertants were derived from these mutants, some of which retained the original mutation suggesting that some of the extra nif gene sequences can be functionally activated.     

Regulation of nitrogen metabolism genes by nifA gene product in Klebsiella pneumoniae

The Klebsiella pneumoniae nifA gene product, which is known to activate expression of the nitrogen fixation (nif) structural genes, is shown here also to be able to substitute for the product of the gene glnG (ntrC) in the regulation of other nitrogen metabolism genes. An evolutionary relationship between the nifA and glnG genes is suggested.     

Present status and development on biological nitrogen fixation research in China

This presentation introduces the advances in biological nitrogen fixation research abroad, in particular,describes the great progress and achievements on its research in China as follows: collection of rhizobial resources and establishment of the largest database of Rhizobium in China, correction and development of Rhizobium taxonomy in international; discovery of a couple of nif genes, identification and unification of linkage among the nif gene operons of Klebsiella pneumoniae, finding of regulative mechanism of positive regulation nif gene and its sensitivity to oxygen,temperature; finding of the activity of nodulation gene nodD3 product in Sinorhizobium meliloti which is not controlled by flavonoid produced from its host alfalfa; finding of the association between expression of genes coding the products for carbon utilization and nitrogen metabolism and their regulations; chemical synthesis of nodulation factor of Sinorhizobium meliloti; constructions of engineered nitrogen fixers and utilization in practice based on the research of gene expression and regulation; chemical simulation of the structure and function of nitrogenase and bringing forward the model of nitrogenase active center for the first time in international and synthesis of model compounds which were paid attention by colleagues abroad. Finally, the development of nitrogen fixation research in China in future has been put forward, suggesting that the nif gene regulation and its role in providing crops with nitrogen element, signal transduction and molecular interactions between Rhizobium and legume, coupling between carbon and nitrogen metabolisms, nitrogen fixation and photosynthesis, and functional genomics of nitrogen-fixing nodule symbiosis, etc., would be actively worked on.     

A general method for site-directed mutagenesis in prokaryotes

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 genes, 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.     

Extra-copy nifA enhances the nodulation efficiency of Sinorhizobium fredii

Previous investigations have shown that nifA gene is involved in nodulation and symbiotic nitrogen fixation regulation of Rhizobium. We study the role of nifA on nodulation of leguminous plants. We found that Sinorhizobium fredii harboring multi-copy plasmid carrying the constitutively expressed Klebsiella pneumoniae nifA exhibited an increase of noduiation activity and nodulation competitiveness on soybean plants. The Nod-factor secreted by the rhizobia cells containing the multi-copied nifA was assayed,and preliminary results showed that S. fredii containing the multi-copy plasmid carrying nifA produced higher strength of Nod-factor than the rhizobia containing the same plasmid carrying the vector did.     

豆科植物-根瘤菌共生固氮的分子机理

与豆科植物－根瘤菌共生固氮有关的基因涉及根瘤菌基因和宿主基因，根瘤菌基因有结瘤基因（nodD,nodAB-CIJ和hsn基因），根瘤菌细胞表面结构基因（exs,lps和ndv基因）和固氮基因（nif和fix基因）；宿主基因主要是结瘤素基因（ENOD和NOD基因）。根瘤菌结瘤基因表达后诱导产生结瘤因子。在根瘤发育过程中，这些基因在根瘤菌与植物之间进行着信息交换，并且具有不同的表达水平。结瘤因子和植物激素对它们进行着调节。     

Sinorhizobium meliloti nifA gene exerts a pleiotropic effect on nodulation through the enhanced plant defense response

Sinorhizobium meliloti nifA gene is required for the expression of a bunch of nif and fix genes. Here, we report its pleiotropic effects on the nodule formation. Compared with wild type strain, nifA mutant sig- nificantly reduced nodule suppression rate in split-root system. The plants inoculated with mutant strain produced lower amount of daidzein and less necrotic cells on their roots. In addition, the defense genes failed to be evoked by nifA mutant at the early nodulation stage. These findings indicated that host defense response was one of the mechanisms mediated by nifA gene to regulate nodule formation during symbiosis. Even though nifA mutant could increase the number of nodules in host plant, it synthesized lower Nod factors than wild type. This suggested that nifA gene mediated multiple and diverse instances in nodulation formation.     

Transcriptome analysis of Sinorhizobium meliloti nodule bacteria in nifA mutant background

Sinorhizobium meliloti is one genus of gram-nega- tive soil bacteria that can fix atmospheric nitrogen in root nodules of its symbiotic leguminous host plants[1]. Specific recognition and progressive differentiation ofboth bacteria and host cells are requ…     

Nodulation and molecular characterization of pure cultures isolated from root nodules ofCoriaria nepalensis

Four strains with typical morphology of actinomycete genus ofFrankia were isolated from root nodules ofCoriatia nepalensis. They were shown to nodulate the seedlings of host plant and hybridize withFrankia 16S rRNA targeted olionucleotide probes, indicating that they did belong to the genusFrankia. Furthermore, by nifHDK probe hybridizations, the homologous fragments of nifHDK genes were detected among the bacteria, and they were located in various sizes of restriction fragments of total DNA, showing diverse patterns of restriction fragment length polyrnorphisms of nifHDK gene (nifHDK-RFLPs). The PCR-based amplification and cloning of nifH gene throw light on the molecular phylogeny ofCoriaria -infectiveFrankia.     

Different recombination site specificity of two developmentally regulated genome rearrangements

In the absence of a combined nitrogen source, such as ammonia, approximately every tenth vegetative cell along filaments of the cyanobacterium Anabaena develops into a heterocyst, a terminally differentiated cell that is morphologically and biochemically specialized for nitrogen fixation. At least two specific DNA rearrangements involving the nitrogen-fixation (nif) genes occur during heterocyst differentiation, one within the nifD gene and the other near the nifS gene. The two rearrangements have several properties in common. Both occur quantitatively in all heterocyst genomes, both occur at approximately the same developmental time, late in the process of heterocyst differentiation, and both result from site-specific recombination between short repeated DNA sequences. We report here the nucleotide sequences found at the site of recombination near the nifS gene. These sequences differ from those found previously for the nifD rearrangement, suggesting that the two rearrangements are catalysed by different enzymes and may be regulated independently. We also show that the nifS gene is transcribed only from rearranged genomes.     

基于全局转录工程促进肺炎克雷伯氏菌吡咯喹啉醌的生物合成

用易错PCR构建肺炎克雷伯氏菌(Klebsiella pneumoniae)RNA聚合酶rpoD基因的突变文库,将其与载体连接后转化肺炎克雷伯氏菌,从1500个阳性克隆中筛选出一株吡咯喹啉醌(PQQ)生产菌。发酵试验表明,该工程菌的PQQ产量为76mg/mL,比携带未突变rpoD基因的对照菌提高了10%。测序发现rpoD基因在核酸和蛋白质水平的突变率分别达到2.5%和0.5%。二级结构预测发现α螺旋、β转角和无规则卷曲数目均发生了变化,推测由此改变了σ因子与启动子的亲和程度,从而导致了PQQ基因的转录以及K. pneumoniae代谢流量再分配,使得PQQ得到更高效表达。