Transcriptome analysis of Rhizobium etli’s free-living and symbiotic non-growing state.

Gene expression during stationary phase and symbiosis of R. etli CFN42 was compared to that of exponentially growing cells. This allowed us to better understand how R. etli adapts to a non-growing lifestyle, both the free-living and symbiotic state, as well as to determine to what extent this adaptation is similar in both states. R. etli CFN42 was grown at 30˚C in AMS medium supplied with 10 mM NH4Cl and 10 mM succinate while monitoring the optical density (OD) of the culture. Free-living samples were taken at OD600 = 0.3 and 6 hours after reaching the maximum OD, representing early exponential and stationary phase respectively. Bacteroid samples were obtained from nodules 3 weeks after inoculation of Common bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris cv Limburgse vroege).