Rhizobium meliloti nodD genes mediate host-specific activation of nodABC

To differentiate among the roles of the three nodD genes of Rhizobium meliloti 1021, we studied the activation of a nodC-lacZ fusion by each of the three nodD genes in response to root exudates from several R. meliloti host plants and in response to the flavone luteolin. We found (i) that the nodD1 and nodD2 products (NodD1 and NodD2) responded differently to root exudates from a variety of hosts, (ii) that NodD1 but not NodD2 responded to luteolin, (iii) that NodD2 functioned synergistically with NodD1 or NodD3, (iv) that NodD2 interfered with NodD1-mediated activation of nodC-lacZ in response to luteolin, and (v) that a region adjacent to and upstream of nodD2 was required for NodD2-mediated activation of nodC-lacZ. We also studied the ability of each of the three R. meliloti nodD genes to complement nodD mutations in R. trifolii and Rhizobium sp. strain NGR234. We found (i) that nodD1 complemented an R. trifolii nodD mutation but not a Rhizobium sp. strain NGR234 nodD1 mutation and (ii) that R. meliloti nodD2 or nodD3 plus R. meliloti syrM complemented the nodD mutations in both R. trifolii and Rhizobium sp. strain NGR234. Finally, we determined the nucleotide sequence of the R. meliloti nodD2 gene and found that R. meliloti NodD1 and NodD2 are highly homologous except in the C-terminal region. Our results support the hypothesis that R. meliloti utilizes the three copies of nodD to optimize the interaction with each of its legume hosts.