Abstract
The known 41 flagellar, chemotaxis, and motility genes of Sinorhizobium (Rhizobium) meliloti contained in the "flagellar regulon" are organized as seven operons and six transcription units that map to a contiguous 45-kb chromosomal region. By probing gene expression on Western blots and with lacZ fusions, we have identified two master regulatory genes, visN and visR, contained in one operon. The gene products probably form a heterodimer, VisNR, acting as a global transcription activator of other flagellar genes. The related 27-kDa VisN and VisR proteins are LuxR-type proteins with typical ligand- and DNA-binding domains. The vis operon itself is constitutively transcribed; however, to activate flagellar genes, VisNR seemingly requires the binding of a yet-unknown effector. Gene expression in tester strains with known deficiencies revealed a hierarchy of three classes of flagellar genes: class I comprises visN and visR; class II, controlled by VisNR, comprises flagellar assembly (class IIA) and motor (class IIB) genes; and class III comprises flagellin and chemotaxis genes that require functional class I and class IIA genes for expression. In contrast to their enterobacterial counterparts, mot genes belong to class II without exerting control over class III genes. While the general hierarchy of gene expression resembles the enterobacterial scheme, the assignment of mot genes to class IIB and the global control by a LuxR-type VisNR activator are new features distinguishing the S. meliloti flagellar gene system.