A novel Sinorhizobium meliloti operon encodes an alpha-glucosidase and a periplasmic-binding-protein-dependent transport system for alpha-glucosides.

ABSTRACT: The most abundant carbon source transported into legume root nodules is photosynthetically produced sucrose, yet the importance of its metabolism by rhizobia in planta is not yet known. To identify genes involved in sucrose uptake and hydrolysis, we screened a Sinorhizobium meliloti genomic library and discovered a segment of S. meliloti DNA which allows Ralstonia eutropha to grow on the alpha-glucosides sucrose, maltose, and trehalose. Tn5 mutagenesis localized the required genes to a 6.8-kb region containing five open reading frames which were named agl, for alpha-glucoside utilization. Four of these (aglE, aglF, aglG, and aglK) appear to encode a periplasmic-binding-protein-dependent sugar transport system, and one (aglA) appears to encode an alpha-glucosidase with homology to family 13

SUBMITTER: Willis LB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC93917 | biostudies-literature | 1999 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature