STRUCTURAL DETERMINATION OF THE LIPO-CHITIN OLIGOSACCHARIDE NODULATION SIGNALS PRODUCED BY RHIZOBIUM-FREDII HH103

Rhizobium fredii HH103 produces extracellular signal molecules that ar e able to induce deformation of root hairs and nodule organogenesis of soybean. This strain produces a large variety of nodulation factors, consisting of a linear backbone of GlcNAc with different degrees of po lymerization, bearing on the non-reducing residue various different N- acyl residues, The reducing terminal residue is 2-O-methylfucosylated at position 6. Several analogous molecules substituted with fucose wer e also detected. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.