Effect of agglutinins from Rhizobium leguminosarum strain 252 on the activity of hydrolytic enzymes

Cells of the nitrogen-fixing soil bacterium Rhizobium leguminosarum 252 and its hemagglutination-deficient mutant strain 252/7 were found to possess t he activities of a variety of hydrolytic enzymes. The agglutinin proteins o f rhizobia diminished beta-glucosidase activity, pectinolytic activity, and acid and alkaline phosphatase activities while completely inhibiting prote olytic enzyme activity in the bacterial cell. The results here show that rh izobial agglutinins are capable of affecting enzyme functioning in Rhizobiu m.