Use of nodulation pattern, stress tolerance, nodC gene amplification, RAPD-PCR and RFLP-16S rDNA analysis to discriminate genotypes of Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar viciae

Twenty-seven new Rhizobium isolates were obtained from root nodules of wild and crop legumes belonging to the genera Vicia, Lathyrus and Pisum from different agroecological areas in central and southern Italy. A polyphasic approach including phenotypic and genotypic techniques was used to study their diversity and their relationships with other biovars and species of rhizobia. Analysis of symbiotic properties and stress tolerance tests revealed that wild isolates showed a wide spectrum of nodulation and a marked variation in stress tolerance compared with reference strains tested in this study. All rhizobial isolates (except for the isolate CG4 from Galega officinalis) were presumptively identified as Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar viciae both by their symbiotic properties and the specific amplification of the nodC gene. In particular, we found that the nodC gene could be used as a diagnostic molecular marker for strains belonging to the bv. viciae. RFLP-PCR 16S rDNA analysis confirms these results, with the exception of two strains that showed different RFLP-genotypes from those of the reference strains of R. leguminosarum bv. viciae. Analysis of intraspecies relationship among strains by using the RAPD-PCR technique showed a high level of genetic polymorphism, grouping our isolates and reference strains into six different major clusters with a similarity level of 20%. Data from seven parameters of phenotypic and genotypic analyses were evaluated by using principal component analysis which indicated the differences among strains and allowed them to be divided into seven different groups.     

Diverse rhizobia associated with woody legumes Wisteria sinensis, Cercis racemosa and Amorpha fruticosa grown in the temperate zone of China

Fifty-nine bacterial isolates from root nodules of the woody legumes Wisteria sinensis, Cercis racemosa and Amorpha fruticosa grown in the central and eastern regions of China were characterized with phenotypic analysis, PCR-based 16S and 23S rRNA gene RFLP, Box PCR and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Seven main phena were defined in numerical taxonomy, which corresponded to distinct groups within the genera Agrobacterium, Bradyrhizobium, Mesorhizobium and Rhizobium in 16S and 23S rRNA gene PCR-RFLP. The phylogenetic relationships of the 16S rRNA genes supported the grouping results of PCR-RFLP. Most of the isolates from Amorpha fruticosa were classified into two groups closely related to Mesorhizobium amorphae. Seventeen of the 21 isolates from Wisteria sinensis were identified as two groups related to Rhizobium and Agrobacterium. Six out of 10 isolates from Cercis racemosa were identified as a group related to Bradyrhizobium. Our results indicated that each of the investigated legumes nodulated mainly with one or two rhizobial groups, although isolates from different plants intermingled in some small bacterial groups. In addition, correlation between geographic origin and grouping results was found in the isolates from Amorpha fruticosa. These results revealed that the symbiotic bacteria might have been selected by both the legume hosts and the geographic factors.     

Numerical taxonomy of Vibrionaceae isolated from cultured amberjack (Seriola dumerili) and surrounding water

A numerical taxonomic study was performed on 148 isolates of Gram-negative, heterotrophic, facultative anaerobic bacteria isolated from amberjack (Seriola dumerili) and its surrounding culture water. The study included 30 type and reference strains belonging to genera Vibrio, Listonella, and Photobacterium. The strains were characterized by 109 morphological, biochemical, physiological, and nutritional tests. Cluster analysis of similarity matrices obtained with S(SM) and S(J) coefficients was carried out. UPGMA (unweighted pair group mathematical average) analysis defined 11 phena at S(SM) values > or = 86%. Nine phena were identified as Vibrio alginolyticus, V. fischeri, V. harveyi, V. carchariae, V. mediterranei, V. splendidus, V. furnissii, V. parahaemolyticus, and Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae. The two latter comprised strains isolated from diseased fish.     

根瘤菌多相分类的研究进展

根瘤菌可以入侵豆科植物形成根瘤或茎瘤,并可固定空气中的氮为其宿主植物提供必需的氮素营养。根瘤菌的分类系统可分为早期根瘤菌的分类系统和现代根瘤菌的分类系统两个阶段。根瘤菌的多相分类技术包括表型的分群方法和遗传型的分群方法两大类。     

Acid production byRhizobium a unifying concept

Summary A study was made of the acid-producing characteristics of 717 strains of Rhizobium in relation to the taxonomic position of the host legume. The hypothesis advanced is that the slow-growing non acid-producing type of Rhizobium commonly associated with tropical legumes represents the ancient form of the symbiont which has persisted unchanged because acid production during growth in the rhizosphere in acid soils would react unfavourably against survival. When the host legume becomes adapted to non-acid soils this restriction is lifted from the Rhizobium. The faster growth rate that is possible with an acid-producing metabolism and the competitive advantage this confers in the rhizosphere then ensures that the Rhizobium strains in effective symbiosis with the host become acid producers. If a group of legumes is found to be characteristically associated with Rhizobium that is strongly acid-producing it is an indication that the host group is an advanced one that has become strongly adapted to non-acid soils.The significance of this hypothesis to agronomic practice and to the taxonomy of legumes and of Rhizobium is discussed.     

Cobalt- and chromium-containing inclusions in bacterial cells

Bacteria belonging to different taxonomic and physiological groups (members of the genera Pseudomonas, Brevibacterium, Rhodopseudomonas, and Lactococcus) are able to form intracellular cobalt- and chromium-containing magnetic inclusions. The paper deals with the structure and the intracellular localization of these inclusions and their similarity to the known noncrystalline iron-containing magnetic inclusions. The possible biological role of the magnetic inclusions is discussed.     

Diversity analysis of diazotrophic bacteria associated with the roots of tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze)

The diversity elucidation by amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis and 16S rDNA sequencing of 96 associative diazotrophs, isolated from the feeder roots of tea on enriched nitrogen-free semisolid media, revealed the predominance of Gram-positive over Gram-negative bacteria within the Kangra valley in Himachal Pradesh, India. The Gram-positive bacteria observed belong to two taxonomic groupings; Firmicutes, including the genera Bacillus and Paenibacillus; and Actinobacteria, represented by the genus Microbacterium. The Gram-negative bacteria included alpha-Proteobacteria genera Brevundimonas, Rhizobium, and Mesorhizobium; gamma-Proteobacteria genera Pseudomonas and Stenotrophomonas; and beta-Proteobacteria genera Azospira, Burkholderia, Delftia, Herbaspirillum and Ralstonia. The low level of similarity of two isolates, with the type strains Paenibacillus xinjiangensis and Mesorhizobium albiziae, suggests the possibility of raising species novum. The bacterial strains of different phylogenetic groups exhibited distinct carbon-source utilization patterns and fatty acid methyl ester profiles. The strains differed in their nitrogenase activities with relatively high activity seen in the Gramnegative strains exhibiting the highest similarity to Azospira oryzae, Delftia lacustris and Herbaspirillum huttiense.     

Cobalt- and Chromium-Containing Inclusions in Bacterial Cells

Bacteria belonging to different taxonomic and physiological groups (members of the genera Pseudomonas, Brevibacterium, Rhodopseudomonas, and Lactococcus) are able to form intracellular cobalt- and chromium-containing magnetic inclusions. The paper deals with the structure and the intracellular localization of these inclusions and their similarity to the known noncrystalline iron-containing magnetic inclusions. The possible biological role of the magnetic inclusions is discussed.     

Molecular phylogeny based on the 16S rRNA gene of elite rhizobial strains used in Brazilian commercial inoculants

Nitrogen is often a limiting nutrient, therefore the sustainability of food crops, forages and green manure legumes is mainly associated with their ability to establish symbiotic associations with stem and root-nodulating N2-fixing rhizobia. The selection, identification and maintenance of elite strains for each host are critical. Decades of research in Brazil resulted in a list of strains officially recommended for several legumes, but their genetic diversity is poorly known. This study aimed at gaining a better understanding of phylogenetic relationships of 68 rhizobial strains recommended for 64 legumes, based on the sequencing of the 16S rRNA genes. The strains were isolated from a wide range of legumes, including all three subfamilies and 17 tribes. Nine main phylogenetic branches were defined, seven of them related to the rhizobial species: Bradyrhizobium japonicum, B. elkanii, Rhizobium tropici, R. leguminosarum, Sinorhizobium meliloti/S. fredii, Mesorhizobium ciceri/M. loti, and Azorhizobium caulinodans. However, some strains differed by up to 35 nucleotides from the type strains, which suggests that they may represent new species. Two other clusters included bacteria showing similarity with the genera Methylobacterium and Burkholderia, and amplification with primers for nifH and/or nodC regions was achieved with these strains. Host specificity of several strains was very low, as they were capable of nodulating legumes of different tribes and subfamilies. Furthermore, host specificity was not related to 16S rRNA, therefore evolution of ribosomal and symbiotic genes may have been diverse. Finally, the great diversity observed in this study emphasizes that tropics are an important reservoir of N2-fixation genes.     

Molecular diversity and phylogeny of rhizobia associated with wild legumes native to Xinjiang, China

A total of 111 rhizobial strains were isolated from wild legumes in Xinjiang, an isolated region of northwest China. Nine genomic species belonging to four genera of Rhizobium, Mesorhizobium, Ensifer, and Bradyrhizobium were defined among these strains based on the characterization of amplified 16S ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA), restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of 16S-23S rDNA intergenic spacers (IGS), 16S rRNA gene sequencing and multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA). Twenty-five nodC types corresponding to eight phylogenetic clades were divided by RFLP and sequence analysis of the PCR-amplified nodC gene. The acid-producing Rhizobium and Mesorhizobium species were predominant, which may be related to both the local environments and the hosts sampled. The present study also showed the limitation of using nod genes to estimate the host specificity of rhizobia.     

Stem Nodulation in Legumes: Diversity,Mechanisms, and Unusual Characteristics

Rhizobia can establish a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with plants of the Leguminosae family. They elicit on their host plant the formation of new organs, called nodules, which develop on the roots. A few aquatic legumes, however, can form nodules on their stem at dormant root primordia. The stem-nodulating legumes described so far are all members of the genera Aeschynomene, Sesbania, Neptunia, and Discolobium. Their rhizobial symbionts belong to four genera already described: Rhizobium, Bradyrhizobium, Sinorhizobium, and Azorhizobium. This review summarizes our current knowledge on most aspects of stem nodulation in legumes, the infection process and nodule development, the characterization and unusual features of the associated bacteria, and the molecular genetics of nodulation. Potential use as green manure in lowland rice of these stem-nodulating legumes, giving them agronomical importance, is also discussed.     

Numerical taxonomy of heavy metal-tolerant bacteria isolated from an estuary.

A total of 230 strains of metal-tolerant bacteria from water and sediment samples collected in Chesapeake Bay were isolated on a medium containing cobalt, lead, mercury, or molybdenum. In addition, a set of 71 cultures were simultaneously isolated on glucose tryptone yeast extract agar medium without metals. Twenty-three reference strains were also included in the numerical taxonomy study of these bacteria, bringing the grand total of strains examined to 324. All strains were examined for 112 biochemical, cultural, morphological, and physiological characters. The taxonomic data obtained were analyzed by computer and the simple matching (SSM) and Jaccard (SJ) coefficients were calculated. Clustering achieved by unweighted average linkage is presented and, from sorted similarity matrices and dendrograms, 294 strains, i.e., 97% of the total, were recovered in 12 phenetic groups defined at the 75 to 80% similarity level. Among the strains there were nine phena presumptively identified as Bacillus, Erwinia, Mycobacterium, Pseudomonas, and coryneforms. From the results of the taxonomic study, it is concluded that metal tolerance in estuarine water and sediment bacteria occurs among a restricted range of taxa distributed throughout the estuarine environment.     

Isolation and expression of Rhizobium japonicum cloned DNA encoding an early soybean nodulation function.

A first visible step in the nodulation of legumes by Rhizobium spp. is the deformation and curling of root hairs. We have identified and cloned DNA sequences encoding this function from two strains of Rhizobium japonicum (USDA 122 and USDA 110) with a weakly homologous probe from Rhizobium meliloti. Root hair curling encoded by the cloned DNA fragments was examined on soybeans (Glycine soja ) after conjugative transfer of these sequences in broad-host-range vectors to various bacterial genera. Pseudomonas putida gave unambiguous expression of the root hair curling genes. This enabled us to identify the 8.7-kilobase EcoRI fragments encoding root hair curling from each strain. The phenotypes encoded by the plasmids pBS1 (derived from strain USDA 122) and pBS2 (derived from strain USDA 110) are distinct and represent a phenotype characteristic of their parent R. japonicum strains. Subclones of pBS1 and pBS2 were generated in single and multicopy vectors, and their expression was analyzed in P. putida. We established that a 4.2-kilobase internal Sa/I fragment of pBS1 and a 3.5-kilobase SstI -EcoRI fragment of pBS2 are sufficient to confer root hair curling on soybeans.     

Numerical taxonomy and ecology of petroleum-degrading bacteria.

A total of 99 strains of petroleum-degrading bacteria isolated from Chesapeake Bay water and sediment were identified by using numerical taxonomy procedures. The isolates, together with 33 reference cultures, were examined for 48 biochemical, cultural, morphological, and physiological characters. The data were analyzed by computer, using both the simple matching and the Jaccard coefficients. Clustering was achieved by the unweighted average linkage method. From the sorted similarity matrix and dendrogram, 14 phenetic groups, comprising 85 of the petroleum-degrading bacteria, were defined at the 80 to 85% similarity level. These groups were identified as actinomycetes (mycelial forms, four clusters), coryneforms, Enterobacteriaceae, Klebsiella aerogenes, Micrococcus spp. (two clusters), Nocardia species (two clusters), Pseudomonas spp. (two clusters), and Sphaerotilus natans. It is concluded that the degradation of petroleum is accomplished by a diverse range of bacterial taxa, some of which were isolated only at given sampling stations and, more specifically, from sediment collected at a given station.     

A numerical taxonomic study of Cucurbita

Several statistical techniques of numerical taxonomy were studied by using 21 species ofCucurbita as models. Data were taken on 93 plant characters for 24 operational taxonomic units (OTU’s). Three similarity coefficients, Q-correlation, distance and divergence, were used to compute phenetic similarities among the 24 OTU’s. The results are summarized in the form of eight phenograms using both unweighted and weighted pair-group methods of clustering. The results obtained from the various statistical techniques were compared with cross-compatibility ratings. The distance and divergence coefficients and their respective phenogram values were more highly correlated with the cross-compatibility ratings than were the Qcorrelation coefficients and their phenogram values. However, from a subjective viewpoint, the phenograms derived from Q-correlation coefficients were in closer general agreement with a combination of biological factors including cross compatibility, geographical distribution, and ecological adaption than were phenograms derived from distance or divergence coefficients.     

南京小龙山钾矿区植物根际可培养细菌的遗传多样性分析

摘要:【目的】矿区优势植物可培养细菌生物多样性研究将有助于了解植物根际细菌与矿物,植物根系相互作用及对矿物风化和土壤形成的重要影响。【方法】采用纯培养法分离南京小龙山废钾矿区野生植物野塘蒿,千金子和栽培植物甘薯根内与根周围土壤的可培养细菌, 通过16S rDNA限制性酶切多态性分析(amplified rDNA restriction analysis, ARDRA)和16S rDNA序列分析研究了可培养细菌的多样性。【结果】分离纯化到60株具不同菌落形态的可培养细菌, 在60%相似水平上可分为18个OTU. 19株代表菌株分别属于3个门, 10个科, 11个属。多数菌株属于变形菌门(α-proteobacteria, 4株, 21.1%; β-proteobacteria, 2株, 10.5%; γ-proteobacteria, 6株, 31.6%)。假单胞菌属(Pseudomonas), 泛菌属(Pantoea)和根瘤菌属(Rhizobium)为优势种群。【结论】小龙山废矿区优势植物根围具有丰富的微生物种群多样性。     

Unexpectedly diverse Mesorhizobium strains and Rhizobium leguminosarum nodulate native legume genera of New Zealand, while introduced legume weeds are nodulated by Bradyrhizobium species

The New Zealand native legume flora are represented by four genera, Sophora, Carmichaelia, Clianthus, and Montigena. The adventive flora of New Zealand contains several legume species introduced in the 19th century and now established as serious invasive weeds. Until now, nothing has been reported on the identification of the associated rhizobia of native or introduced legumes in New Zealand. The success of the introduced species may be due, at least in part, to the nature of their rhizobial symbioses. This study set out to address this issue by identifying rhizobial strains isolated from species of the four native legume genera and from the introduced weeds: Acacia spp. (wattles), Cytisus scoparius (broom), and Ulex europaeus (gorse). The identities of the isolates and their relationship to known rhizobia were established by comparative analysis of 16S ribosomal DNA, atpD, glnII, and recA gene sequences. Maximum-likelihood analysis of the resultant data partitioned the bacteria into three genera. Most isolates from native legumes aligned with the genus Mesorhizobium, either as members of named species or as putative novel species. The widespread distribution of strains from individual native legume genera across Mesorhizobium spp. contrasts with previous reports implying that bacterial species are specific to limited numbers of legume genera. In addition, four isolates were identified as Rhizobium leguminosarum. In contrast, all sequences from isolates from introduced weeds aligned with Bradyrhizobium species but formed clusters distinct from existing named species. These results show that native legume genera and these introduced legume genera do not have the same rhizobial populations.     

MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry is a fast and reliable platform for identification and ecological studies of species from family Rhizobiaceae

Family Rhizobiaceae includes fast growing bacteria currently arranged into three genera, Rhizobium, Ensifer and Shinella, that contain pathogenic, symbiotic and saprophytic species. The identification of these species is not possible on the basis of physiological or biochemical traits and should be based on sequencing of several genes. Therefore alternative methods are necessary for rapid and reliable identification of members from family Rhizobiaceae. In this work we evaluated the suitability of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for this purpose. Firstly, we evaluated the capability of this methodology to differentiate among species of family Rhizobiaceae including those closely related and then we extended the database of MALDI Biotyper 2.0 including the type strains of 56 species from genera Rhizobium, Ensifer and Shinella. Secondly, we evaluated the identification potential of this methodology by using several strains isolated from different sources previously identified on the basis of their rrs, recA and atpD gene sequences. The 100% of these strains were correctly identified showing that MALDI-TOF MS is an excellent tool for identification of fast growing rhizobia applicable to large populations of isolates in ecological and taxonomic studies.     

The variable part of the dnaK gene as an alternative marker for phylogenetic studies of rhizobia and related alpha Proteobacteria

DnaK is the 70 kDa chaperone that prevents protein aggregation and supports the refolding of damaged proteins. Due to sequence conservation and its ubiquity this chaperone has been widely used in phylogenetic studies. In this study, we applied the less conserved part that encodes the so-called alpha-subdomain of the substrate-binding domain of DnaK for phylogenetic analysis of rhizobia and related non-symbiotic alpha-Proteobacteria. A single 330 bp DNA fragment was routinely amplified from DNA templates isolated from the species of the genera, Azorhizobium, Bradyrhizobium, Mesorhizobium, Rhizobium and Sinorhizobium, but also from some non-symbiotic alpha Proteobacteria such as Blastochloris, Chelatobacter and Chelatococcus. Phylogenetic analyses revealed high congruence between dnaK sequences and 16S rDNA trees, but they were not identical. In contrast, the partition homogeneity tests revealed that dnaK sequence data could be combined with other housekeeping genes such as recA, atpD or glnA. The dnaK trees exhibited good resolution in the cases of the genera Mesorhizobium, Sinorhizobium and Rhizobium, even better than usually shown by 16S rDNA phylogeny. The dnaK phylogeny supported the close phylogenetic relationship of Rhizobium galegae and Agrobacterium tumefaciens (R. radiobacter) C58, which together formed a separate branch within the fast-growing rhizobia, albeit closer to the genus Sinorhizobium. The Rhizobium and Sinorhizobium genera carried an insertion composed of two amino acids, which additionally supported the phylogenetic affinity of these two genera, as well as their distinctness from the Mesorhizobium genus. Consistently with the phylogeny shown by 16S-23S rDNA intergenic region sequences, the dnaK trees divided the genus Bradyrhizobium into three main lineages, corresponding to B. japonicum, B. elkanii, and photosynthetic Bradyrhizobium strains that infect Aeschynomene plants. Our results suggest that the 330 bp dnaK sequences could be used as an additional taxonomic marker for rhizobia and related species (alternatively to the 16S rRNA gene phylogeny).     

Biodiversity shortcuts in biomonitoring of novel ecosystems

Hydropower reservoirs are novel ecosystems that present different challenges for the design of biomonitoring programs. To ensure long-term programs and wide spatial coverage, it is important to test the reliability of different cost-saving strategies that have been widely evaluated among researchers, such as taxonomic sufficiency, numerical sufficiency and surrogate groups. Using data on zooplankton composition, our objective was to test whether these strategies could be applied to increase the efficiency of biomonitoring programs in reservoirs. Zooplankton data were collected at the Santo Antônio do Jari Hydroelectric Plant, which is located between the states of Pará and Amapá (Amazon region, Brazil), over 23 months between 2012 and 2015. The data were organized in different taxonomic groups (cladocerans, copepods, rotifers and testate amoebae) and matrices by decreasing the taxonomic resolution (from species to genera and families) and the numerical resolution (from species abundance to species presence/absence) of the data. The ordination patterns obtained with Principal Coordinate Analysis for the different matrices were compared using Procrustes analyses. Our results suggest that ordination patterns using genus-level data were similar to those obtained with species-level data. However, analyses based on family-level data were often unable to reproduce results based on species-level data. Ordination patterns using presence/absence data were similar to those obtained from abundance data. We also found that the strengths of the relationships between ordinations derived from different taxonomic groups (e.g., rotifers and cladocerans) were low and often not significant. We conclude that the use of zooplankton genera and presence/absence data may be a reliable strategy to monitor reservoirs. However, our results highlight the need to monitor different zooplankton groups, as the ordination patterns depicted by a given group were poorly related to those generated by a second zooplankton group.