Abstract
The (Brady)rhizobium nodulation gene products synthesize lipo-oligosaccharide (LOS) signal molecules that induce nodule primordia on legume roots. Previously, nodule primordia had been induced by LOS on several legumes, but the induction of a complete nodule structure by LOS had only been shown on alfalfa. Since alfalfa can spontaneously form nodules at a low frequency, it has been unclear whether LOS molecules are sufficient to induce morphologically complete nodules on plants that do not spontaneously form nodules. In this study, we isolated LOS from Bradyrhizobium elkanii previously Bradyrhizobium japonicum group II; (Kuykendall et al. 1992, Can. J. Microbiol. 38, 501–505) strain USDA61 and determined their biological activity on Glycine soja. When spot-inoculated onto G. soja roots, these LOS induced a morphologically complete nodule structure showing many features similar to root nodules induced by rhizobia. These features include a broad mitotically active nodule primordium in the root outer cortex and a vascular bundle that emanates from the pericycle and bifurcates to surround the mitotically active cells. From this work it can be concluded that LOS are sufficient to induce a structurally complete nodule on plants that form determinate nodules.
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Abbreviations
- LOS:
-
lipo-oligosaccharide(s)
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We thank Drs. Leslie Wanner (Ohio State Biotechnology Center) and Desh Pal Verma for critical reading of this manuscript and Doug Hughes for his help in preparation of the photomicrographs. This work was supported by National Science Foundation grant IBN 9291878 awarded to N. K. P. This is publication 179-93 of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center.
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Stokkermans, T.J.W., Peters, N.K. Bradyrhizobium elkanii lipo-oligosaccharide signals induce complete nodule structures on Glycine soja Siebold et Zucc.. Planta 193, 413–420 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00201821
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00201821