Molecular analysis of the Rhizobium meliloti mucR gene regulating the biosynthesis of the exopolysaccharides succinoglycan and galactoglucan.

The Rhizobium meliloti Tn5 mutant Rm3131, producing galactoglucan (EPS II) instead of succinoglycan (EPS I), was complemented by a 3.6-kb EcoRI-fragment of the Rhizobium meliloti genome. Sequencing of this fragment revealed six open reading frames (ORFs). The ORF found to be affected in the mutant Rm3131 codes for a putative protein of 15.7 kDa and forms a monocistronic transcriptional unit. Further genetic analysis revealed that the gene mutated in Rm3131 is identical to the previously described R. meliloti mucR gene (H. Zhan, S.B. Levery, C. C. Lee, and J.A. Leigh, 1989, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86:3055-3059). By hybridization it was shown that a mucR homologous gene is present in several rhizobacteria. The deduced amino acid sequence of MucR showed nearly 80% identity to the Agrobacterium tumefaciens Ros protein, a negative regulator of vir genes and necessary for succinoglycan production. MucR contains like Ros a putative zinc finger sequence of the C2H2 type. Transcriptional fusions of genes for EPS I and EPS II synthesis, the so-called exo and exp genes, with the marker gene lacZ were used to delineate the role of mucR for exo and exp gene expression. It was found that exp genes are negatively regulated by MucR on the transcriptional level, whereas a posttranscriptional regulation by MucR is assumed for exo genes. Furthermore, mucR is negatively regulating its own transcription.

Genetic analysis of the Rhizobium meliloti exoYFQ operon: ExoY is homologous to sugar transferases and ExoQ represents a transmembrane protein.

The nucleotide sequence of a 4.8-kb ClaI-EcoRI DNA fragment of megaplasmid 2 of Rhizobium meliloti Rm2011 involved in succinoglucan (EPS I) synthesis and nodule infection was determined. Four open reading frames (ORFs) were identified on this fragment. A mutational analysis revealed that these ORFs represent genes that were termed exoX, exoY, exoF, and exoQ. The locations of transposon insertions in these exo genes were determined at the nucleotide level. Plasmid integration mutagenesis revealed that the genes exoY, exoF, and exoQ are organized in an operon. The exoX gene running in opposite direction forms a monocistronic transcriptional unit. The exoX gene was shown to negatively influence the amount of EPS I synthesized. The exoY gene is coding for a membrane associated protein homologous to the C-terminal part of the Xanthomonas campestris glucosyltransferase GumD and the Salmonella typhimurium galactose transferase RfbP. ExoF, a probable periplasmatic protein, is nearly identical to the protein encoded by ORF1 of Rhizobium sp. strain NGR234. ExoQ is most probably a membrane associated protein as deduced by its hydrophobic structural features. All three genes of the exoYFQ operon were shown to be essential for succinoglucan synthesis and nodule infection.