Project description:Metabolomics and transcriptomics of Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens-induced root nodules Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens is a nitrogen-fixing endosymbiont, which can grow inside root-nodule cells of the agriculturally important soybean and other host plants. Our previous studies described B. diazoefficiens host-specific global expression changes occurring during legume infection at the transcript and protein level. In order to further characterize nodule metabolism, we here determine by flow injection -time of flight mass spectrometry analysis the metabolome of i) nodules and roots from four different B. diazoefficiens host plants, ii) soybean nodules harvested at different time points during nodule development, and iii) soybean nodules infected by two strains mutated in key genes for nitrogen fixation, respectively. Ribose (soybean), tartaric acid (mungbean), hydroxybutanoyloxybutanoate (siratro) and catechol (cowpea) were among the metabolites found to be specifically elevated in one of the respective host plants. While the level of C4-dicarboxylic acids decreased during soybean nodule development, we observed an accumulation of trehalose-phosphate at 21 days post infection (dpi). Moreover, nodules from non-nitrogen-fixing bacteroids (nifA and nifH mutants) showed specific metabolic alterations; these were also supported by transcriptomics data that was generated for the two mutant strains and were helpful to separate for some examples the respective bacterial and plant contributions to the metabolic profile. The alterations included signs of nitrogen limitation in both mutants, and an increased level of a phytoalexin in nodules induced by the nifA mutant, suggesting that the tissue of these nodules exhibits defense and stress reactions.
Project description:Legume plants can form root organs called nodules where they house intracellular symbiotic rhizobium bacteria. Within nodule cells, rhizobia differentiate into bacteroids, which fix nitrogen for the benefit of the plant. Depending on the combination of host plants and rhizobial strains, the output of rhizobium-legume interactions is varying from non-fixing associations to symbioses that are highly beneficial for the plant. Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens USDA110 was isolated as a soybean symbiont but it can also establish a functional symbiotic interaction with Aeschynomene afraspera. In contrast to soybean, A. afraspera triggers terminal bacteroid differentiation, a process involving bacterial cell elongation, polyploidy and membrane permeability leading to loss of bacterial viability while plants increase their symbiotic benefit. A combination of plant metabolomics, bacterial proteomics and transcriptomics along with cytological analyses was used to study the physiology of USDA110 bacteroids in these two host plants. We show that USDA110 establish a poorly efficient symbiosis with A. afraspera, despite the full activation of the bacterial symbiotic program. We found molecular signatures of high level of stress in A. afraspera bacteroids whereas those of terminal bacteroid differentiation were only partially activated. Finally, we show that in A. afraspera, USDA110 bacteroids undergo an atypical terminal differentiation hallmarked by the disconnection of the canonical features of this process. This study pinpoints how a rhizobium strain can adapt its physiology to a new host and cope with terminal differentiation when it did not co-evolve with such a host.
Project description:The form and physiology of Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens after the decline of symbiotic nitrogen fixation has been characterized. Proteomic analyses showed that the post-symbiotic B. diazoefficiens undergo metabolic remodeling as well defined groups of proteins declined, increased or remained unchanged from 56 to 119 days after planting suggesting a transition to a hemibiotrophic-like lifestyle. Enzymatic analysis showed distinct patterns in both the cytoplasm and the periplasm. Similar to the bacteroid, the post-symbiotic bacteria rely on a non-citric acid cycle supply of succinate and although viable, they did not demonstrate the ability to grow within the senescent nodule.
Project description:Lipo-chitooligosaccharides (LCOs) produced by N2-fixing rhizobacteria initiate host nodule formation. Foliar application of LCOs has been shown to induce stress-related genes under optimal growth conditions. To study the effects of LCO foliar spray under stressed conditions, soybean seedlings grown at optimal temperature were exposed to sub-optimal temperature. After a 5-day acclimation period, the first trifoliolate leaves were sprayed with 10-7 M LCO (NodBj-V (C18:1, MeFuc)) produced by Bradyrhizobium japonicum, and harvested at 0 and 48 h following treatment. Microarray analysis was performed using Affymetrix GeneChip® Soybean Genome Arrays. A total of 147 genes were differentially expressed 48 h after LCO treatment, including a number of stress-related genes and transcription factors. In addition, during the 48 h following treatment, hundreds of genes were differentially expressed in LCO-treated plants, indicating that the dynamic soybean foliar transcriptome was highly responsive to LCO treatment. The microarray data was supported by quantitative real-time PCR data. Soybean seedlings grown at optimal temperature (25 °C) were exposed to sub-optimal temperature (15 °C). After a 5-day acclimation period, the first trifoliolate leaves were sprayed with 10-7 M LCO (NodBj-V (C18:1, MeFuc)) produced by Bradyrhizobium japonicum, and harvested at 0 and 48 h following treatment. Total RNA was extracted and microarray analysis was performed using Affymetrix GeneChip® Soybean Genome Arrays.
Project description:Legumes interact with nodulating bacteria that convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia for plant use. This nitrogen fixation takes place within root nodules that form after infection of root hairs by compatible rhizobia. Using cDNA microarrays, we monitored gene expression in soybean (Glycine max) inoculated with the nodulating bacterium Bradyrhizobium japonicum 4, 8, and 16 days after inoculation (dai), time points that coincided with nodule development and the onset of nitrogen fixation. This experiment identified several thousand genes that were differentially expressed in response to B. japonicum inoculation. Expression of 27 genes was analyzed by qRT-PCR and their expression patterns mimicked the microarray results confirming integrity of analyses. The microarray results suggest that B. japonicum reduces plant defense responses during nodule development. In addition, the data revealed a high level of regulatory complexity (transcriptional, post-transcriptional, translational, post-translational) that is likely essential for development of the symbiosis and adjustment to an altered nutritional status. Keywords = symbiosis Keywords = nodulation Keywords = rhizobium Keywords = defense Keywords = ANOVA Keywords = plant loop design, 7 samples, 7 comparison, 2 technical repeats including dye swaps, 4 biological repeats
Project description:Lipo-chitooligosaccharides (LCOs) produced by N2-fixing rhizobacteria initiate host nodule formation. Foliar application of LCOs has been shown to induce stress-related genes under optimal growth conditions. To study the effects of LCO foliar spray under stressed conditions, soybean seedlings grown at optimal temperature were exposed to sub-optimal temperature. After a 5-day acclimation period, the first trifoliolate leaves were sprayed with 10-7 M LCO (NodBj-V (C18:1, MeFuc)) produced by Bradyrhizobium japonicum, and harvested at 0 and 48 h following treatment. Microarray analysis was performed using Affymetrix GeneChip® Soybean Genome Arrays. A total of 147 genes were differentially expressed 48 h after LCO treatment, including a number of stress-related genes and transcription factors. In addition, during the 48 h following treatment, hundreds of genes were differentially expressed in LCO-treated plants, indicating that the dynamic soybean foliar transcriptome was highly responsive to LCO treatment. The microarray data was supported by quantitative real-time PCR data.
Project description:Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens can live inside soybean root nodules and in free-living conditions. In both states, when oxygen levels decrease, cells adjust their protein pools by gene transcription modulation. PhaR encodes a transcription factor annotated as PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate) accumulation regulator. We found that PhaR not only controls the PHA cycle but also acts as a global regulator of excess carbon allocation by controlling the expression of fixK2 and nifA genes, both encoding key transcription factors for microoxic and symbiotic metabolism in B. diazoefficiens. The function of PhaR was expanded by a multi-pronged approach that includes analysis of the effects of phaR mutation at transcriptional and protein levels of putative PhaR targets and direct control mediated by PhaR determined by EMSA assays. We also were able to identify PhaR, phasins and other proteins associated with PHA granules which confirmed a global function of PhaR in microoxia.
Project description:Legumes interact with nodulating bacteria that convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia for plant use. This nitrogen fixation takes place within root nodules that form after infection of root hairs by compatible rhizobia. Using cDNA microarrays, we monitored gene expression in soybean (Glycine max) inoculated with the nodulating bacterium Bradyrhizobium japonicum 4, 8, and 16 days after inoculation (dai), time points that coincided with nodule development and the onset of nitrogen fixation. This experiment identified several thousand genes that were differentially expressed in response to B. japonicum inoculation. Expression of 27 genes was analyzed by qRT-PCR and their expression patterns mimicked the microarray results confirming integrity of analyses. The microarray results suggest that B. japonicum reduces plant defense responses during nodule development. In addition, the data revealed a high level of regulatory complexity (transcriptional, post-transcriptional, translational, post-translational) that is likely essential for development of the symbiosis and adjustment to an altered nutritional status. Keywords = symbiosis Keywords = nodulation Keywords = rhizobium Keywords = defense Keywords = ANOVA Keywords = plant Keywords: nodulating vs not nodulating
Project description:Global bottom-up proteomics analysis of proteins purified from soybean root nodules infected with either WT or nifH- mutant Bradyrhizobium japonicum. Nine glycoproteins containing Lewis-a N-glycans, with 3 distinct Lewis-a epitopes (Hex:5 HexNAc:4 dHex:3 Pent:1, Hex:4 HexNAc:4 dHex:2 Pent:1, and Hex:4 HexNAc:3 dHex:2 Pent:1) were observed. Proteins purified from WT and nifH- infected soybean root nodules (five biological replicates each) were reduced using dithiothreitol, alkylated with iodoacetamide and trypsin digested followed by C18 SPE clean-up and LC-MS/MS analysis. Raw data files were processed using FragPipe v17.1, then output files 'combined_modified_peptide.tsv' and 'combined_protein.tsv' were used to identify glycopeptides and for global protein quantitation. These files, along with Excel files containing global quantitation analysis files for soybean nodule (Glycine max) and bacterial (Bradyrhizobium), are available in directory 'Quantification/MSFragger_results'. Glycopeptide data were also processed with PMI Byonic, and Excel file results are available in directory 'Quantification/PMI_Byonic_results'.