Role of symbiotic auxotrophy in the rhizobium-legume symbioses

Arthur Hosie
,
Jurgen Prell
,
Alexandre Bourdès
,
Shalini Kumar
,
Emma M. Lodwig
,
Seonag Kinghorn

Norwich Research Park
,
University of Reading

Research Output:

Contribution to journal

Article

Peer-review

Open access

Abstract

Symbiotic auxotrophy occurs in both determinate pea and indeterminate bean nodules demonstrating its importance for bacteroid formation and nodule function in legumes with different developmental programmes. However, only small quantities of branched chain amino acids are needed and symbiotic auxotrophy did not occur in the Sinorhizobium meliloti-alfalfa symbiosis under the conditions measured. The contrasting symbiotic phenotypes of aap bra mutants inoculated on different legumes probably reflects altered timing of amino acid availability, development of symbiotic auxotrophy and nodule developmental programmes.