Soybean-mediated suppression of BjaI/BjaR 1 quorum sensing in Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens impacts symbiotic nitrogen fixation

Author:

Han Fang1,Li Huiquan1,Lyu Ermeng1,Zhang Qianqian1,Gai Haoyu1,Xu Yunfang1,Bai Xuemei1,He Xueqian1,Khan Abdul Qadir1,Li Xiaolin23,Xie Fang2,Li Fengmin1,Fang Xiangwen1,Wei Min1ORCID

Affiliation:

1. State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China

2. National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China

3. University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

Abstract

ABSTRACT The acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs)-mediated LuxI/LuxR quorum sensing (QS) system orchestrates diverse bacterial behaviors in response to changes in population density. The role of the BjaI/BjaR 1 QS system in Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens USDA 110, which shares homology with LuxI/LuxR, remains elusive during symbiotic interaction with soybean. Here this genetic system in wild-type (WT) bacteria residing inside nodules exhibited significantly reduced activity compared to free-living cells, potentially attributed to soybean-mediated suppression. The deletion mutant strain ΔbjaR 1 showed significantly enhanced nodulation induction and nitrogen fixation ability. Nevertheless, its ultimate symbiotic outcome (plant dry weight) in soybeans was compromised. Furthermore, comparative analysis of the transcriptome, proteome, and promoter activity revealed that the inactivation of BjaR 1 systematically activated and inhibited genomic modules associated with nodulation and nitrogen metabolism. The former appeared to be linked to a significant decrease in the expression of NodD2, a key cell-density-dependent repressor of nodulation genes, while the latter conferred bacterial growth and nitrogen fixation insensitivity to environmental nitrogen. In addition, BjaR 1 exerted a positive influence on the transcription of multiple genes involved in a so-called central intermediate metabolism within the nodule. In conclusion, our findings highlight the crucial role of the BjaI/BjaR 1 QS circuit in positively regulating bacterial nitrogen metabolism and emphasize the significance of the soybean-mediated suppression of this genetic system for promoting efficient symbiotic nitrogen fixation by B. diazoefficiens . IMPORTANCE The present study demonstrates, for the first time, that the BjaI/BjaR1 QS system of Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens has a significant impact on its nodulation and nitrogen fixation capability in soybean by positively regulating NodD2 expression and bacterial nitrogen metabolism. Moreover, it provides novel insights into the importance of suppressing the activity of this QS circuit by the soybean host plant in establishing an efficient mutual relationship between the two symbiotic partners. This research expands our understanding of legumes’ role in modulating symbiotic nitrogen fixation through rhizobial QS-mediated metabolic functioning, thereby deepening our comprehension of symbiotic coevolution theory. In addition, these findings may hold great promise for developing quorum quenching technology in agriculture.

Funder

MOST | National Natural Science Foundation of China

National Natural Science Foundation of China

National Key Research and Development Program of China

Publisher

American Society for Microbiology

Subject

Ecology,Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology,Food Science,Biotechnology

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