Serological and ecological studies ofRhizobium spp. (Cicer arietinum L.) by immunofluorescence and ELISA technique: Competitive ability for nodule formation between rhizobium strains

Summary Antisera were prepared against threeRhizobium spp, (Cicer arietinum L.) strains H45, R18 and 46b4. Results obtained by the ELISA technique complement those obtained by immunofluorescence and revealed a broad serological diversity in the chickpea Rhizobium strains used. This serological diversity allowed us to use the immunofluorescence technique for competitiveness studies between an inoculated strain (H45) and native strains. Strain H45 formed all the nodules on plants cultivated on an acidic soil, 48 per cent of Montpellier soil and 11 per cent on Montelimar soil. The inoculum concentration was 5.2 10⁷ bacteria per seed. On the Montpellier soil, the ratio of nodules formed by H45 increased with the inoculum concentration. The competitiveness of strain H45 against native strains of Montpellier soil is highly influenced by the host plant genotype. In each case, no cross reaction were observed between native strains of the soils studied and the antisera prepared against H45.

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Resume Des antiserums ont été préparés contre trois souches deRhizobium sp. du Pois chiche (Cicer arietinum L.):H45, R18 et 46b4. Les résultats obtenus en tests ELISA concordent avec ceux obtenus en immunofluorescence et révèlent une grande diversité sérologique des souches étudiées. Cette diversité sérologique a été mise à profit pour l'étude de la compétition pour la formation des nodosités entre une souche apportée au semis (H45) et les souches indigènes du sol. La souche H45 a formé la totalité des nodosités sur les plantes de pois chiche cultivées sur un sol à pH acide et respectivement 48% (sol Montpellier) et 11% (sol Montélimar) pour une concentration d'inoculum de 5, 2×10⁷ bactéries par graine. Avec le sol de Montpellier, la proportion de nodosités formées par H45 augmente avec la concentration de l'inoculum. Le pouvoir de compétition de la souche H45 vis-à-vis des souches naturelles du sol de Montpellier est fortement influencé par le génotype de la plante. Dans tous les cas, aucune réaction croisée n'est observée entre les souches indigènes des sols étudiés et l'antisérum préparé contre H45.

     

从种内、种间化感作用分析入侵种薇甘菊及其近邻种的非协同进化趋势

为预测入侵植物与其邻近物种间的非协同进化趋势,分别提取薇甘菊(Mikania micrantha)及其近邻种五爪金龙(Ipomoea cairica)、葛藤(Pueraria lobata)和鸡矢藤(Paederia scandens)的叶片水提液处理幼苗,对薇甘菊及其近邻种的种内、种间化感作用进行研究。结果表明,薇甘菊对3种近邻种的化感作用呈现不同趋势(SE=0.50, 0.61,–0.16),但种内存在较强的化感促进作用(SE=0.61),说明其种内化感竞争较弱;葛藤的种内化感促进作用(SE=0.32)弱于薇甘菊,种间的化感促进作用与薇甘菊相似(SE=0.52, 0.50);五爪金龙种内化感促进作用(SE=0.06)弱于薇甘菊和葛藤(SE=0.32),种间促进作用(SE=0.24)弱于薇甘菊(SE=0.61);鸡矢藤的种内、种间化感作用均表现为抑制作用(SE=–0.18,–0.07),说明种内、种间化感竞争较强。野外调查表明4种植物分布的频度和多度均表现为薇甘菊葛藤五爪金龙鸡矢藤,这与化感竞争力结果一致。可见,种内与种间化感作用在入侵植物与近邻植物的综合竞争力中扮演着极为重要的作用,这为入侵种与近邻种之间的非协同进化趋势指明了方向。     

Competitive strategies in adult beech and spruce: space-related foliar carbon investment versus carbon gain

In Central Europe, Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies represent contrasting extremes in foliage type, crown structure and length of growing season. In order to examine the competitive strategies of these two co-occurring species, we tested the following hypotheses: (1) the space occupied by the foliage of sun branches is characterized by greater foliar mass investment compared to shade branches, (2) the carbon (C) gain per unit of occupied space is greater in sun than in shade branches, and (3) annual C and water costs of the foliage for sustaining the occupied space are low, wherever C gain per unit of occupied space is low. These were investigated in a mature forest in Southern Germany. The examination was based on the annual assessment of space-related resource investments and gains of the foliage. The foliated space around branches was regarded as the relevant volume with respect to aboveground resource availability. Occupied crown space per standing foliage mass was higher in shade compared to sun branches of beech, whereas no difference existed in crown volume per foliage mass between sun and shade branches of spruce (hypothesis 1 accepted for beech but rejected for spruce). However, beech occupied more space per foliage mass than spruce. The C gain per occupied crown volume was greater in sun than in shade branches (hypothesis 2 accepted) but did not differ between species. The amount of occupied space per respiratory and transpiratory costs did not differ between species or between sun and shade branches. In beech and spruce, the proportion of foliage investment in the annual C balance of sun and shade branches remained rather stable, whereas respiratory costs distinctly increased in shade foliage. Hence, shade branches were costly structures to occupy space, achieving only low and even negative C balances (rejection of hypothesis 3), which conflicts with the claimed C autonomy of branches. Our findings suggest that competitiveness is determined by the standing foliage mass and the annual branch volume increment rather than annual investments in foliage. Expressing competitiveness in terms of space-related resource investments versus returns, as demonstrated here, has the potential of promoting mechanistic understanding of plant–plant interactions.     

Enhanced competitiveness for nodulation of Medicago sativa by Rhizobium meliloti transconjugants harbouring the root-inducing plasmids of Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain 15834

Abstract The root-inducing plasmid of Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain 15834 marked with transposon Tn5-mob with a helper plasmid RP4-4 was mobilized into nitrogen-fixing Rhizobium meliloti strain CIAM 1759. The resulting transconjugants did not induce ‘hairy’ root syndrome but developed nitrogen-fixing nodules on alfalfa. Among the 9 transconjugants tested, 6 strains had increased nodulation rates. The competitiveness of 2 of these R. meliloti (pRi) strains was significantly enhanced as compared with the parent strain CIAM 1759; this was confirmed both in tube and in pot tests.     

区域生物医药产业基于钻石模型的竞争力研究——以石家庄为例

以波特的钻石模型为基础,根据生物医药产业的特点形成了六因素钻石模型的分析框架。以石家庄为例,对影响产业竞争力的生产要素、需求要素、相关和支持性产业要素、企业战略结构和竞争要素、政府、创新这六个要素进行了分析。并对提升产业竞争力的路径进行了阐释,通过发挥比较优势,因地制宜选择合适的产业集群发展模式,积极推进"政产学研医"结合,多种手段搞好创新,积极承接生物制药产业外包服务,加强中介、信息等产业支撑建设,搞好社会文化对生物医药产业的支撑等,保证石家庄生物医药产业的可持续发展。     

Nodulation competitiveness in the Rhizobium-legume symbiosis

Successful nodulation of legumes by rhizobia is a complex process that, in the open field, depends on many different environmental factors. Generally, legume productivity in an agricultural field may be improved by inoculation with selected highly effective N₂-fixing root nodule bacteria. However, field legume inoculation with Rhizobium and Bradyrhizobium spp. has often been unsuccessful because of the presence in the soil of native strains that compete with the introduced strain in nodule formation on the host plants. This ability to dominate nodulation is termed competitiveness and is critical for the successful use of inoculants.The author is with the Departmentode Microbiologia del Suelo y Sistemas Simbioticos, Estation Experimental del Zaidin, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, C/Professor Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain     

Competition between inoculum and native rhizobia for nodulation of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp): Use of a dark-nodule strain

Summary Cowpea rhizobia strains were examined with indigenous populations in nodulating cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp) cv. Laura B. strain IRC256 formed dark nodules on cowpea, and were used as the standard against orthodox pink-nodule strains in evaluating nodulating competitiveness. The dark nodule phenotype and intrinsic antibiotic resistance pattern were used to identify the strains in the nodules. Our results showed the usefulness of the dark-nodule strain in evaluating nodulating competitiveness of cowpea rhizobia in soils where dark-nodule strains were not indigenous.     

Molecular diversity,effectiveness and competitiveness of indigenous rhizobial population infecting mungbean <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vigna radiata</Emphasis> (L. Wilczek) under semi-arid conditions

Nodules from mungbean crop raised for the first time at Ram Dhan Singh (RDS) farm of Chaudhary Charan Singh (CCS) Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar were collected from 17 different locations. Twenty-five mungbean rhizobia were isolated and authenticated by plant infection test. DNA of all these rhizobia was extracted purified and amplified using enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC) primers. All the mungbean rhizobial isolates were clustered into 4 groups at 65% of similarity and were further divided into 17 subclusters at 80% of similarity. All the 4 types of rhizobia were not present at any of the location and group 2 or 4 rhizobia were invariably present. Efficacy of these rhizobia in terms of nodulation, nitrogen uptake and chlorophyll a fluorescence was determined under pot culture conditions. Strain MB 307 showed maximum nitrogen uptake of 31.9 mg N plant⁻¹ followed by strain MB 1205, MB 1206(2), MB 308, MB 1524 and strain MB 1521 was found to be the least efficient in terms of N 2 fixation. Nodule occupancy by different rhizobia ranged from 5.5 to 40.3%. Most of the strains belonging to the 2nd group which clustered maximum number of strains were comparatively better competitors and formed 19.5–40.3% of the nodules and were also effective. Isolate MB 307, the most efficient strain, was found to have nodule occupancy of 31.5%. Such type of predominant, efficient and better competitor strains should be selected for enhancing nodule competitiveness.