Azospirillum Genes Involved in Chemotaxis and Adhesion to Plant Roots

Bacteria of the genus Azospirillum are diazotrophs that colonize the roots of plants. Colonization patterns can be visualized by using strains equipped with a reporter gene (Vande Broek et al., 1993; Arsene et al., 1994). The initial steps of bacterial colonization are chemotaxis and adhesion to the root surface. In order to characterize the bacterial genes and signals that determine these processes genetic and biochemical approaches were used.