Rhizobium leguminosarum NodT is related to a family of outer-membrane transport proteins that includes TolC, PrtF, CyaE and AprF.

Cells containing a protein fusion consisting of the Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae nodulation protein, NodT, fused to PhoA, produced alkaline phosphatase activity, indicating that the N terminus of NodT could translocate PhoA across the inner membrane. Cellular fractionation suggested that the NodT::PhoA fusion is targetted to the outer membrane. NodT resembles a family of bacterial outer membrane proteins including TolC, PrtF, CyaE and AprF, which are involved in secretion. By analogy, NodT (together with the inner membrane putative transport proteins NodI and NodJ) is proposed to be involved in the secretion of nodulation factors.