Award details

Quorum-sensing control and root-exudate mediated induction of rhizobial genes expressed in the rhizosphere

Reference	BBS/E/J/00001238
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor J Downie
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	John Innes Centre
Department	John Innes Centre Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	48,006
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/10/2001
End date	01/10/2004
Duration	36 months

Abstract

Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar viciae is the symbiont of legumes such as pea (Pisum sativum) and field bean (Vicia faba), forming nitrogen fixing root nodules. We have identified quorum sensing genes that are induced in a cell density dependent manner and these influence several phenotypes including stationary phase adaptation, plasmid transfer and induction of genes in the rhizosphere. Among the genes whose expression are altered are genes which influence the surface polysaccharides of R. leguminosarum bv. viciae. In particular, plyB encodes an enzyme that cleaves the bacterial polysaccharide and plyB is regulated under quorum-sensing control. Close to plyB is a gene that is predicted to encode a sigma factor that influences the expresion of extracellular genes. This project sets out to understand the regulation of plyB and to identify genes regulated by the sigma factor. In addition, promoters induced in the rhizosphere will be identified and these will be assessed for their mode of regulkation to identify which promoters are controlled by quorum sensing. The objectives of this work are to identify and characterise genes which influence bacterial growth and survival in the rhizospere.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Plant & Microbial Sciences (PMS)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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