Abstract
Specific and complex interactions between soil bacteria, known as rhizobia, and their leguminous host plants result in the development of root nodules. This process implies a complex dialogue between the partners. Rhizobia synthesize different classes of polysaccharides: exopolysaccharides (EPS), Kdo-rich capsular polysaccharides, lipopolysaccharides, and cyclic β-(1,2)-glucans. These polymers are actors of a successful symbiosis with legumes. We focus here on studying the EPS produced by Rhizobium sullae bacteria that nodulate Hedysarum coronarium L., largely distributed in Algeria. We describe the influence of the carbon source on the production and on the composition of EPS produced by R. sullae A6 and RHF strains. High-molecular-weight EPS preserve the bacteria from desiccation. The structural characterization of the EPS produced by R. sullae strains has been performed through sugar analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The low-molecular-weight EPS of one strain (RHF) has been totally elucidated using nuclear magnetic resonance and quantitative time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry analyses. An unusual fucose-rich EPS has been characterized. The presence of this deoxy sugar seems to be related to nodulation capacity.