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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1988 Dec;85(23):9133–9137. doi: 10.1073/pnas.85.23.9133

Synthesis of an opine-like compound, a rhizopine, in alfalfa nodules is symbiotically regulated.

P J Murphy 1, N Heycke 1, S P Trenz 1, P Ratet 1, F J de Bruijn 1, J Schell 1
PMCID: PMC282678  PMID: 2848255

Abstract

We show that the promoter of the mos locus, which encodes genes required for the synthesis of a nodule-specific, opine-like compound, a rhizopine, in alfalfa nodules is regulated by the symbiotic nitrogen-fixation regulatory gene nifA. The 5'-regulatory region and amino-terminal end of the first open reading frame of the mos locus are highly homologous to the 5'-regulatory region and amino-terminal portion of the Rhizobium meliloti nifH gene. The coordinate regulation of mos and nif genes suggests that the mos locus plays a symbiotic role. We propose that the rhizopine enhances the survival of the bacterial partner in the symbiosis.

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Selected References

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