IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v7y2016i1d10.1038_ncomms12219.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Metabolic modelling reveals the specialization of secondary replicons for niche adaptation in Sinorhizobium meliloti

Author

Listed:
  • George C. diCenzo

    (McMaster University)

  • Alice Checcucci

    (University of Florence)

  • Marco Bazzicalupo

    (University of Florence)

  • Alessio Mengoni

    (University of Florence)

  • Carlo Viti

    (University of Florence)

  • Lukasz Dziewit

    (Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw)

  • Turlough M. Finan

    (McMaster University)

  • Marco Galardini

    (EMBL-EBI, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus)

  • Marco Fondi

    (University of Florence)

Abstract

The genome of about 10% of bacterial species is divided among two or more large chromosome-sized replicons. The contribution of each replicon to the microbial life cycle (for example, environmental adaptations and/or niche switching) remains unclear. Here we report a genome-scale metabolic model of the legume symbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti that is integrated with carbon utilization data for 1,500 genes with 192 carbon substrates. Growth of S. meliloti is modelled in three ecological niches (bulk soil, rhizosphere and nodule) with a focus on the role of each of its three replicons. We observe clear metabolic differences during growth in the tested ecological niches and an overall reprogramming following niche switching. In silico examination of the inferred fitness of gene deletion mutants suggests that secondary replicons evolved to fulfil a specialized function, particularly host-associated niche adaptation. Thus, genes on secondary replicons might potentially be manipulated to promote or suppress host interactions for biotechnological purposes.

Suggested Citation

  • George C. diCenzo & Alice Checcucci & Marco Bazzicalupo & Alessio Mengoni & Carlo Viti & Lukasz Dziewit & Turlough M. Finan & Marco Galardini & Marco Fondi, 2016. "Metabolic modelling reveals the specialization of secondary replicons for niche adaptation in Sinorhizobium meliloti," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-10, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms12219
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12219
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms12219
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/ncomms12219?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms12219. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.