Skip to main content

Genetic control of nitrogen assimilation and nitrogen fixation in free living Azospirillum brasilense: A review

  • Conference paper
Azospirillum VI and Related Microorganisms

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((ASIG,volume 37))

Abstract

Among plant rhizospheric bacteria, genetics and molecular biology of the regulatory pathways, that control the nitrogen metabolism, have been studied, over the past 10 years, mostly in Azospirillum brasilense. To date, more and more changes, as compared to the canonical reference system of Klebsiella pneumoniae have been discovered in A. brasilense, with regard to: (i) the qualitative modifications of physiological functions of some key regulators; (ii) the identification of novel types of promoter and new regulatory proteins. I will try here to give an overview of our current knowledge on this subject, with a particular reference to recent work.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Adler, S. P., Punch, D. and Stadtman, E. R. (1975) Cascade control of E. coli glutamine syhthetase: Properties of the Pu regulatory protein and the uridylyltransferase-uridylylremoving enzyme. J. Biol. Chem. 250, 6264–6272.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Arsène, F., Liang, Y. Y., Kaminski, P.-A., Michel-Reydellet, N., Vieille, C., Isnard, A.-D. and Elmerich, C. (1994) Functional organization of the ORFXntrBC locus of Azospirillum brasilense SP7 and study of gene regulation by use of lacZ fusions; In Proceedings of the 6th International Symposium on Nitrogen Fixation with Non-Legumes, (N. A. Hegazi Eds.) Kluwer Academic Publishers, in press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bender, R. A., Janssen, K. A., Resnick, A. D., Blumenberg, M., Foor, F. and Magasanik, B. (1977) Biochemical Parameters of glutamine synthetase from Klebsiella aerogenes. J. Bacteriol. 129, 1001–1009.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bozouklian, H. and Elmerich, C. (1986) Nucleotide sequence of the Azospirillum brasilense Sp7 glutamine synthetase structural gene. Biochimie 68, 1181–1187.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bozouklian, H., Fogher, C. and Elmerich, C. (1986) Cloning and characterization of the glnA gene of Azospirillum brasilense Sp7. Ann. Inst. Pasteur/Microbiol. 137B, 3–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colombo Pirola, M., Monopoli, R., Aliverti, A. and Zanetti, G. (1992) Isolation and characterization of glutamine synthetase from the diazotroph Azospirillum brasilense. Int. J. Biochem. 24, 1749–1754.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colonna-Romano, S., Riccio, A., Guida, M., Defez, R., Lamberti, A., Iaccarino, M., Arnold, W., Priefer, U. and Pühler, A. (1987) Tight linkage of glnA and a putative regulatory gene in Rhizobium leguminosarum. Nucleic Acids Res. 15, 1951–1964.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Colonna-Romano, S., Patriarca, E. J., Amar, M., Bernard, P., Manco, G., Lamberti, A., Iaccarino, M. and Defez, R. (1993) Uridylylation of the Pu protein in Rhizobium leguminosarum. FEBS Lett. 330, 95–98.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Elmerich, C. (1991) Genetics and regulation of Monitrogenase; In Biology and Biochemistry of Nitrogen Fixation (M. J. Dilworth and A. R. Glenn Eds.), Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp. 103–141.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elmerich, C., Zimmer, W. and Vieille, C. (1992) Associative nitrogen-fixing bacteria; In Biological Nitrogen Fixation (G. Stacey, R. H. Burris, and H. J. Evans Eds.), Chapman and Hall, New-York, pp. 212–258.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fani, R., Allotta, G., Bazzicalupo, M., Ricci, F., Schipani, C. and Polsinelli, M. (1989) Nucleotide sequence of the gene encoding the nitrogenase iron protein (nifH) of Azospirillum brasilense and identification of a region controlling nifH transcription. Mol. Gen. Gent. 220, 81–87.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fischer, H. M., Bruderer, T. and Hennecke, H. (1988) Essential and non-essential domains in the Bradyrhizobium japonicum NifA protein: Identification of indispensable cysteine residues potentially involved in redox reactivity and/or metal binding. Nucl Acids Res. 16, 2207–2224.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Forchhammer, K. and Tandeau de Marsac, N. (1994) The Pu protein in the Cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942 is modified by serine phosphorylation and signals the cellular N-status. J. Bacteriol. 176, 84–91.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foster-Hartnett, D., Cullen, P. J., Gabbert, K. K. and Kranz, R. G. (1993) Sequence, genetic, and lacZ fusion analyses of a nifR3-ntrB-ntrC operon in Rhodobacter capsulatus. Mol. Microbiol. 8, 903–914.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fu, H., Hartmann, A., Lowery, R. G., Fitzmaurice, W. P., Roberts, G. P. and Burns, R. H. (1989) Posttranslational regulatory system for nitrogenase activity in Azospirillum spp. J. Bacteriol. 171, 4679–4689.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fu, H. A., Fitzmaurice, W. P., Roberts, G. P. and Burris, R. H. (1990) Cloning and expression of draTG genes from Azospirillum lipoferum. Gene 86, 95–98.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Galimand, M., Perroud, B., Delorme, F., Paquelin, A., Vieille, C., Bozouklian, H. and Elmerich, C. (1989) Identification of DNA regions homologous to nitrogen fixation genes nifE, nifUS and fixABC in Azospirillum brasilense Sp7. J. Gen. Microbiol. 135, 1047–1059.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gauthier, D. and Elmerich, C. (1977) Relationship between glutamine synthetase and nitrogenase in Spirillum lipoferum. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 2, 101–104.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hartmann, A. and Burris, R. H. (1987) Regulation of nitrogenase activity by oxygen in Azospirillum brasilense and Azospirillum lipoferum. J. Bacteriol. 169, 944–948.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hartmann, A., Fu, H. and Burris, R. H. (1986) Regulation of nitrogenase activity by ammonium chloride in Azospirillum spp. J. Bacteriol. 165, 864–870.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • van Heeswijk, W.C., Rabenberg, M., Westerhoff, H. V. and Kahn, D. (1993) The genes of the glutamine synthetase adenylylation cascade are not regulated by nitrogen in E. coli. Mol. Microbiol. 9, 443–457.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Holtel, A. and Merrick, M. (1988) Identification of the Klebsiella pneumoniae glnB gene: Nucleotide sequence of wild-type and mutant alleles. Mol. Gen. Genet. 215, 134–138.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Holtel, A. and Merrick, M. J. (1989) The Klebsiella pneumoniae Pn protein (glnB gene product) is not absolutely required for nitrogen regulation and is not involved in NifL-mediated nif gene regulation. Mol. Gen. Genet. 217, 474–480.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Keener, J. and Kustu, S. (1988) Protein kinase and phosphoprotein phosphatase activities of nitrogen regulatory proteins NTRB and NTRC of enteric bacteria: Roles of the conserved amino-terminal domain of NTRC. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 85, 4976–4980.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kranz, R. G., Pace, V. M. and Caldicott, I. M. (1990) Inactivation, sequence, and lacZ fusion analysis of a regulatory locus required for repression of nitrogen fixation genes in Rhodobacter capsulatus. J. Bacteriol. 172, 53–62.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liang, Y. Y., Kaminski, P. A. and Elmerich, C. (1991/A) Identification of a m/A-like regulatory gene of Azospirillum brasilense Sp7 expressed under conditions of nitrogen fixation and in the presence of air and ammonia. Mol. Microbiol. 5, 2735–2744.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liang, J., Nielsen, G. M., Lies, D. P., Burris, R. H., Roberts, G. P. and Ludden, P. W. (1991/B) Mutations in the draT and draG genes of Rhodospirillum rubrum result in loss of regulation of nitrogenase by reversible ADP-ribosylation. J. Bacteriol. 173, 6903–6909.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liang, Y. Y., de Zamaroczy, M., Arsène, F., Paquelin, A. and Elmerich, C. (1992) Regulation of nitrogen fixation in Azospirillum brasilense Sp7: involvement of nif A, glnA and glnB gene products. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 100, 113–120.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liang, Y. Y., Arsène, F. and Elmerich, C. (1993) Characterization of the ntrBC genes of Azospirillum brasilense Sp7: their involvement in the regulation of nitrogenase synthesis and activity. Mol. Gen. Genet. 240, 188–196.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ludden, P.W. and Roberts, G. P. (1989) Regulation of nitrogenase activity by reversible ADP-ribosylation. Curr. Topics Cell. Regul. 30, 23–55.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Magasanik, B. (1988) Reversible phophorylation of an enhancer binding protein regulates the transcription of bacterial nitrogen utilization genes. TIBS 13, 475–479.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, G. B., Thomashow, M. F. and Chelm, B. K. (1989) Bradyrhizobium japonicum glnB, a putative nitrogen regulatory gene, is regulated by NtrC at tandem promoters. J. Bacterid. 171, 5638–5645.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Merrick, M. J. (1992) Regulation of nitrogen fixation genes in free-living and symbiotic bacteria. In: Biological Nitrogen Fixation ( G. Stacey, R. H. Burns, and H. J. Evans Eds.), Chapman and Hall, New-York, pp. 835–876.

    Google Scholar 

  • Milcamps, A., Keyers, V. and Vanderleyden, J. (1993) Identification of a nifW-like gene in Azospirillum brasilense. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1173, 237–238.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Parkinson, J. S. (1993) Signal transduction shemes of bacrteria. Cell 73, 857–871.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Passaglia, L. M., Numes, C. L., Zaha, C. P. and Schrank, I. S. (1991) The nifHDK operon in the free-living nitrogen fixing bacteria Azospirillum brasilense comprise sequentialy genes H, D, K and 353 bp ORF and gene nifY. Braz. J. Med. Biol. Res. 24, 649–675.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Patriarca, E. J., Riccio, A., Taté, R., Colonna-Romano, S., Iaccarino, M. and Defez, R. (1993) The ntrBC genes of Rhizobium leguminosarum are part of a complex operon subject to negative regulation. Mol. Microbiol. 9, 569–577.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pelanda, R., Vanoni, M. A., Perego, M., Puibelli, L., Galizzi, A., Curti, B. and Zanetti, G. (1993) Glutamate synthase genes of the diazotroph Azospirillum brasilense. J. Biol. Chem. 268, 3099–3106.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ratti, S., Curti, B., Zanetti, G. and Galli, E. (1985) Purification and characterization of glutamate synthase from Azospirillum brasilense. J. Bacteriol. 163, 724–729.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singh, M., Tripathi, A. K. and Klingmuller, W. (1989) Identification of a regulatory nifA type gene and physical mapping of cloned new nif regions of Azospirillum brasilense. Mol. Gen. Genet. 219, 235–240.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Son, H. S. and Rhee, S. G. (1987) Cascade control of Escherichia coli glutamine synthetase. Purification and properties of PJJ protein and nucleotide sequence of its structural gene. J. Biol. Chem. 262, 8690–8695.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stock, J. B., Ninfa, A. J and. Stock, A. M (1989) Protein phosphorylation and regulation of adaptative responses in bacteria. Microbiol. Rev. 53, 450–490.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Toukdarian, A. and Kennedy, C. (1986) Regulation of nitrogen metabolism in Azotobacter vinelandii: Isolation of ntr and glnA genes and construction of ntr mutants. EMBO J. 5, 399–407.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vande Broek, A., Michiels, J., de Faria, S. M., Milcamps, A. and Vanderleyden, J. (1992) Transcription of the Azospirillum brasilense nifH gene is positively regulated by NifA and NtrA and is negatively controlled by the cellular nitrogen status. Mol. Gen. Genet. 232, 279–283.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vasudevan, S. G., Armarego, W. L. F., Shaw, D. C., Lilley, P. E. Dixon, N. E. and Poole, R. K. (1991) Isolation and nucleotide sequence of the hmp gene that encodes a haemoglobin-like protein in E. coli K-12. Mol. Gen. Genet. 226, 49–58.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vasudevan, S. G., Gedye, C., Dixon, N. E., Cheah, E., Carr, P. D., Suffolk, P. M., Jeffrey, P. D. and Ollis, D. L. (1994) E. coli Pn protein: purification, crystallization and oligomeric structure. FEBS Lett. 337, 255–258.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wetsby, C. A., Enderlin, C. S., Steinberg, N. A., Joseph, C. M. and Meeks, J. C. (1987) Assimilation of 13NH4+ by Azospirillum brasilense grown under nitrogen limitation and excess. J. Bacteriol. 169, 4211–4214.

    Google Scholar 

  • de Zamaroczy, M., Delorme, F. and Elmerich, C. (1989) Regulation of transcription and promoter mapping of the structural genes for nitrogenase (nifHDK) of Azospirillum brasilense Sp7. Mol. Gen. Genet. 220, 88–94.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • de Zamaroczy, M., Delorme, F. and Elmerich, C. (1990) Characterization of three different nitrogen-regulated promoter regions for the expression of glnB and glnA in Azospirillum brasilense. Mol. Gen. Genet. 224, 421–430.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • de Zamaroczy, M., Paquelin, A. and Elmerich, C. (1993/A) Functional organization of the glnB-glnA cluster of Azospirillum brasilense. J. Bacteriol. 175, 2507–2515.

    Google Scholar 

  • de Zamaroczy, M., Liang, Y.Y., Kaminski, A., Arsène, F. and Elmerich, C. (1993/B) Regulation of NifA synthesis and activity in Azospirillum brasilense Sp7; In New Horizons in Nitrogen Fixation (R. Palacios, J. Mora and W. E. Newton Eds.), Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, pp. 423–427.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, Y., Burns, R. H. and Roberts, G. P. (1992) Cloning, sequencing, mutagenesis, and functional characterization of draT and draG from Azospirillum brasilense. J. Bacteriol. 174, 3364–3369.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1995 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

de Zamaroczy, M. (1995). Genetic control of nitrogen assimilation and nitrogen fixation in free living Azospirillum brasilense: A review. In: Fendrik, I., del Gallo, M., Vanderleyden, J., de Zamaroczy, M. (eds) Azospirillum VI and Related Microorganisms. NATO ASI Series, vol 37. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-79906-8_6

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-79906-8_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-79908-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-79906-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics