Role of Lectins in Plant-Microorganism Interactions

Abstract

The influence of rhizosphere/rhizoplane culture conditions on the ability of various rhizobia to bind soybean seed lectin (SBL) was examined. Eleven strains of the soybean symbiont, Rhizobium japonicum, and six strains of various heterologous Rhizobium species were cultured in root exudate of soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) and in association with roots of soybean seedlings which were growing either hydroponically or in montmorillonite clay soil amendment (Turface). All 11 of the R. japonicum strains developed biochemically specific receptors for the lectin when cultured under these conditions, whereas six of the 11 did not develop such receptors when cultured in synthetic salts medium. Two cowpea strains also developed receptors for SBL. The other four heterologous strains of rhizobia gave no evidence of biochemically specific SBL binding in either synthetic salts media or rhizosphere/rhizoplane cultures. These results demonstrate that the environment provided by plant roots is an important factor in the development of specific lectin receptors on the cell surface of R. japonicum.