Research Interests

Research activities have included studies on symbiotic nitrogen fixation, and on development of vector and gene transfer systems for various bacteria of agricultural significance (rumen bacteria, biological control agents, plant-growth promoting bacteria). Our major effort has been directed towards understanding the role of large plasmids in the free-living and symbiotic life of Rhizobium spp., that form nitrogen fixing nodules on the roots of various legume host plants. This work has resulted in the identification of a number of new plasmid-encoded genes involved in nitrogen fixation, and the function and regulatory pathways of these genes are being studied. In addition, plasmid encoded loci involved in the catabolism of a wide variety of carbon sources have been identified in R. leguminosarum, and the role of these genes in the ability of the bacterium to compete with other bacteria, and to survive as a rhizosphere organism is being investigated. A major area of research for the past few years has been the study of chemotaxis and motility in rhizobia, and this was the main focus of the most recent NSERC grant.  Future studies will concentrate more on rhizobial plasmid replication and transfer by conjugation.

Other lab interests include work on bacteriocins, bacteriophage and IS elements.  We have recently received a grant to explore the use of phage to enhance competitiveness for plant inoculants and are looking for students to work on this project.

Courses Taught F09-W10

Graduate Students

Awards

2003 - Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes (Spain) Visiting Fellowship for Sabbatical (competitive)

Selected Publiations

• Perrine-Walker F.M., Hynes M.F., Rolfe B.G., and Hocart C.H. (2009) Strain competition and agar affect the interaction of rhizobia with rice. Can J. Microbiol. in press,
  

• Ding H., and Hynes M.F. (2009) Plasmid transfer systems in the rhizobia. Can J. Microbiol. 55:917-927

• Turner RJ, Ceri H,  Hynes MF, Zannoni D (2008) Antimicrobial agents and biofilms: resistance/tolerance is multifactorial. Chemistry Today 26(6):18-20

• Crossman LC, Castillo-Ramírez S, McAnnula C, Lozano L, Vernikos GS, Acosta JL, Ghazoui ZF, Hernández-González I, Meakin G, Walker AW, Hynes MF, Young JP, Downie JA, Romero D, Johnston AW, Dávila G, Parkhill J, González V (2008)  A common genomic framework for a diverse assembly of plasmids in the symbiotic nitrogen fixing bacteria. PLoS ONE.3:e2567

• Poole PS, Hynes MF, Johnston AWB, Tiwari RP, Reeve WG, and Downie, JA (2008) Physiology of root nodule bacteria. In “Nitrogen-fixing leguminous symbioses” edited by M.J. Dilworth, E.K. James,  J. Sprent,, and W.E. Newton.  Springer NY.  pp. 241-292

• Miller LD, Yost CK, Hynes MF, and Alexandre G (2007) The major chemotaxis gene cluster of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae is essential for competitive nodulation. Mol. Microbiol.  63:348-362

• Yost CK,  Rath AM,  Noel TC, and Hynes MF (2006) Characterization of genes involved in erythritol catabolism in Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae. . Microbiology 152:2061-2074

• Xiong J, Hynes MF, Ye H, Chen H, Yang Y, M’Zali F, and Hawkey PM (2006) blaIMP-9 and its association with large  plasmids carried by Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from the People’s Republic of China. Antimicrob. Agents. Chemotherap. 50:355-358

• Perrine FM, Hocart CH, Hynes MF, and Rolfe BG (2005) Plasmid-associated genes in the model micro-symbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti 1021 affect the growth and development of young rice seedlings. Environmental Microbiology  7:1826-1838

• Perrine F, Rolfe BG, Hynes MF, and Hocart, CH (2004) Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of indoleacetic acid and tryptophan following aqueous chloroformate derivatisation of Rhizobium exudates. Plant Physiol. Biochem. 42:723-729.

• Yost CK, Del Bel KL, Quandt J,  and Hynes MF (2004) Rhizobium leguminosarum methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein genes are down-regulated in the pea nodule. Arch. Microbiol. 182:505-513

• Richardson, JS, Hynes MF, and Oresnik, IJ (2004) A genetic locus necessary for rhamnose catabolism in Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii. J. Bacteriol. 186:8433-8442

• Quandt J, Clark RG, Venter AP, Clark SRD, Twelker S, and Hynes MF (2004) Modified RP4 and Tn5-Mob derivatives for facilitated manipulation of large plasmids in Gram-negative bacteria. Plasmid 52:1-12

• Yost CK, Clark KT, Del Bel KL, and Hynes MF  (2003) Characterization of the nodulation plasmid encoded chemoreceptor  gene mcpG  from Rhizobium leguminosarum.  BMC Microbiology 3:1

• García de los Santos A, Morales A,  Baldomá L, Clark SRD, Brom S, Yost CK, Hernández-Lucas I, Aguilar J, and Hynes MF (2002) The glcB locus of Rhizobium leguminosarum VF39 encodes an arabinose inducible malate synthase.  Can. J. Microbiol. 48:922-932

• Venter AP, Twelker S, Oresnik, IJ and Hynes MF (2001) Analysis of a novel rhizobiocin from Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae strain 306.  Can. J. Microbiol. 47:495-502

• Clark SRD, Oresnik IJ, and Hynes MF (2001) RpoN of Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar viciae strain VF39SM plays a central role in the FnrN-dependent microaerobic regulation of genes involved in nitrogen fixation.  Molec. Gen. Genet. 264:623-633

• Chen H, Higgins J, Oresnik IJ, Hynes MF, Natera S., Djordjevic MA, Weinman JJ, and Rolfe, BG (2000) Proteome analysis demonstrates complex replicon and luteolin interactions in pSyma cured derivatives of Sinorhizobium  meliloti   Electrophoresis 21:3833-3842

• Oresnik IJ, Yost CK, Liu S-L, and Hynes MF (2000) Megaplasmid pRme2011a of Sinorhizobium  meliloti is not  required for viability.  J. Bacteriol. 182:3582-3586.

• Yost CK, and Hynes MF (2000)  Rhizobial motility and chemotaxis: molecular biology and ecological role. Chapter 16 in Prokaryotic Nitrogen Fixation: A Model System for the Analysis of a Biological Process. Edited by E. W. Triplett,  Horizon Scientific Press, Wymondham, England. pp 237-250