Stimulation of adhesiveness, infectivity, and competitiveness for nodulation of Bradyrhizobium japonicum by its treatment with soybean seed lectin

LODEIRO, A.R.; LÓPEZ-GARCÍA S.L.; VÁZQUEZ T.E.; FAVELUKES G.

FEMS MICROBIOLOGY LETTERS

Elsevier

Año: 2000 vol. 188 p. 177 - 184

0378-1097

Soybean seed lectin (SBL) stimulates adsorption of Bradyrhizobium japonicum to its host roots. Pretreatment of the rhizobia with SBL for at least 6-12 h previous to their interaction with the plants was required to detect the stimulatory effect. This activity could be observed with as few as 1,000 SBL molecules per bacterium, and required the specific carbohydrate binding. Infectivity and competitiveness for nodulation were also stimulated by preincubation of the rhizobia either with soybean seed meal extract or SBL, the extract being more effective in enhancing competitiveness.