DNA Methylation in Species during Free-Living Growth and during Nitrogen-Fixing Symbiosis with spp.

Methylation of specific DNA sequences is ubiquitous in bacteria and has known roles in immunity and regulation of cellular processes, such as the cell cycle. Here, we explored DNA methylation in bacteria of the genus , including its potential role in regulating terminal differentiation during nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with legumes. Using single-molecule real-time sequencing, six genome-wide methylated motifs were identified across four strains, five of which were strain-specific.

Contain Diverse flg22 Epitopes That Elicit Varying Immune Responses in .

Bacterial flagellin protein is a potent microbe-associated molecular pattern. Immune responses are triggered by a 22-amino-acid epitope derived from flagellin, known as flg22, upon detection by the pattern recognition receptor FLAGELLIN-SENSING2 (FLS2) in multiple plant species. However, increasing evidence suggests that flg22 epitopes of several bacterial species are not universally immunogenic to plants.