Original ArticleIndole-3-acetic acid production via the indole-3-pyruvate pathway by plant growth promoter Rhizobium tropici CIAT 899 is strongly inhibited by ammonium

Like many rhizobia, Rhizobium tropici produces indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), an important signal molecule required for root hair infection in rhizobia-legume symbioses. However, the IAA biosynthesis pathway and its regulation by R. tropici are still poorly understood. In this study, IAA synthesis and the effects of mineral N in IAA production by R. tropici CIAT 899 were verified by ultraperformance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS). Furthermore, expression of genes related to IAA biosynthesis and metabolism were evaluated by RT-qPCR. Results indicated that IAA production by CIAT 899 was 12 times lower in the presence of NH4+. Moreover, it was found that indole-3-pyruvate (IPyA) is the major IAA biosynthesis intermediate. Genes y4wE, lao and iorA were identified by analysis of R. tropici genome in silico and were upregulated by tryptophan, indicating a possible role of these genes in IAA biosynthesis by CIAT 899. In conclusion, we show that IPyA is the major pathway for IAA biosynthesis in CIAT 899 and that its production is strongly inhibited by NH4+. Although present results arose from in vitro experiments, they provide new insight into the role of nitrogen in early events related to legume nodulation.