药用植物内生放线菌的分离和生物学特性

[目的]探索药用植物内生环境可培养放线菌的分离、培养方法,总结药用植物内生放线菌的生物学特性,探讨其物种多样性,挖掘新的微生物资源.[方法]采用10种分离培养基对37个新鲜的药用植物样品进行内生放线菌的分离;通过比较,选择适合植物内生放线菌生长的培养条件;根据菌落形态和细胞特征观察结果,选择其中174株菌测定16S rRNA基因序列,分析药用植物内生放线菌的多样性;应用Biolog GENⅢ微孔培养、API 50CH以及API ZYM试剂条测试27株代表菌株的生理生化特性.[结果]分离得到940株植物内生菌,分属于47个属,30个科,其中放线菌600余株,分属于34个属,共发现潜在的新分类单元有7个;本研究中药用植物内生放线菌的培养条件是:PYG培养基、pH7.2、28℃- 32℃;菌株间的生物学特性的差异与菌株系统进化关系呈正相关关系;不同环境植物的内生菌菌株的生物学特性差异较大,相同环境的不同植物内生菌的生物学特性差异较小.[结论]药用植物内生放线菌物种丰富多样;药用植物内生放线菌在唯一碳源利用、发酵碳源产酸及酶学活性等生理生化特性方面没有表现出和宿主植物的直接相关性,而是呈现出和宿主植物的地理分布有一定的相关性.     

8种贵州药用植物内生放线菌的分离及多样性研究

【背景】药用植物内生菌能产生多种活性较好的次级代谢产物,是新抗生素发现的重要来源。目前,药用植物内生菌的研究主要集中在内生真菌,内生放线菌研究相对较少,是一个尚未充分开发的新领域。【目的】研究贵州药用植物内生放线菌多样性,以期发现新种放线菌或产新活性物质的放线菌,为微生物药物研究奠定基础。【方法】药用植物样品表面消毒后用粉碎机粉碎,采用9种不同分离培养基分离放线菌;通过提取放线菌基因组DNA,PCR扩增16S rRNA基因序列,测定序列并提交EzBioCloud数据库进行序列比对,构建系统进化树,进行内生放线菌多样性分析。【结果】通过形态特征初步排重,从8种药用植物样品中共分离得到内生菌62株,测定其16S rRNA基因序列,序列比对结果表明其中的57株菌分布于放线菌域的5目8科16属,分别是短小杆菌属(Curtobacterium)、链霉菌属(Streptomyces)、微杆菌属(Microbacterium)、纤维单胞菌属(Cellulomonas)、植物杆菌属(Plantibacter)、原小单孢菌属(Promicromonospora)、动球菌属(Kineococcus)、壤球菌属(Agrococcus)、沼杆菌属(Patulibacter)、气微菌属(Aeromicrobium)、拉贝达氏菌属(Labedella)、叶居菌属(Frondihabitans)、冷杆菌属(Frigoribacterium)、节杆菌属(Arthrobacter)、动孢菌属(Kineosporia)、Amnibacterium属,其中短小杆菌属(Curtobacterium)为优势菌属,菌株M8JJ-5和M2KJ-4的16S rRNA基因序列分别与有效发表菌株AmnibacteriumkyonggienseKSL51201-037T(FJ527819)和Aeromicrobiumfastidiosum DSM10552T (Z78209)的相似性最高,相似性分别为97.29%和98.95%,可能为潜在新物种。【结论】贵州药用植物中蕴藏着多样性丰富的放线菌且具有从中发现新放线菌的潜力,能为新抗生素的发现提供菌种储备,也为今后对该地区放线菌资源的认识和开发利用提供理论依据。     

Biocontrol of chickpea root rot using endophytic actinobacteria

Eleven actinobacterial strains were isolated from different plants, lentil (Lens esculentus), chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), pea (Pisum sativum), faba bean (Vicia faba) and wheat (Triticum vulgare) from Paskerville, South Australia. Isolates were characterized and identified morphologically as well as using 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. Of the actinobacteria tested, 72% produced siderophores, 33% were positive for cyanogens production, and 11% showed phosphate solubility. All isolates had antimicrobial activity against Phytophthora medicaginis, Pythium irregulare and Botrytis cinerea. In a greenhouse experiment, actinobacteria with the highest biocontrol capabilities were tested for their ability to control Phytophthora root rot on chickpea. Both Streptomyces sp. BSA25 and WRA1 successfully suppressed Phytophthora root rot when coinoculated with either Mesorhizobium ciceri WSM1666 or Kaiuroo 3. Streptomyces sp. BSA25 with either rhizobial strain enhanced vegetative growth of root (7–11 fold) and shoot dry weights (2–3 fold) compared to infected control, whereas Streptomyces sp. WRA1 increased root and shoot dry weights by 8- and 4-fold, respectively when inoculated with M. ciceri WSM1666. We suggest that careful selection of actinobacteria should be considered when coinoculated with beneficial microorganisms as plant symbionts.     

海南西海岸红树林伴生植物内生放线菌多样性及其延缓衰老活性初筛

为寻找新型抗衰老药物,该文以海南西海岸红树林伴生植物为研究对象,采用9种不同培养基从7种伴生植物21份样品中分离纯化放线菌,通过PCR扩增,16S rRNA基因序列分析已纯化放线菌的多样性,利用秀丽隐杆线虫(Caenorhabditis elegans)模型筛选菌株来进行延缓衰老活性研究。结果表明:(1)从7种伴生植物21份样品中共分离到26株海洋放线菌,隶属于9科15属,分别为拟诺卡菌属、短状杆菌属、短小杆菌属、Demequina、戈登氏菌属、类诺卡氏菌属、Lysinimicrobium、细杆菌属、假诺卡氏菌属、微球菌属、原小单孢菌属、拟无枝酸菌属、Yimella、北里孢菌属和链霉菌属,其中链霉菌属为优势菌属。(2)经秀丽隐杆线虫模型筛选,发现有2株海洋放线菌的发酵粗提物具有延缓秀丽隐杆线虫衰老的作用。综上结果说明海南西海岸红树林伴生植物中含有丰富多样的药用放线菌资源,为海洋放线菌抗衰老研究奠定了基础。     

海南西海岸真红树内生放线菌多样性及其延缓衰老活性初筛

为了发掘红树林内生放线菌资源和进行新型海洋药物研究,该文选择海南西海岸14种真红树的根、茎、叶、花、胚轴为研究对象,采用9种不同分离培养基[改良的高氏培养基(AGG)、海藻糖-天冬酰胺培养基(M4)、海藻糖-脯氨酸培养基(M5)、改良ISP5培养基(M7)、精氨酸-天冬酰胺培养基(M9)、改良淀粉-水解酪素培养基(M10)、酪氨酸-天冬酰胺培养基(P7)、燕麦培养基(P3)、棉籽糖-组氨酸培养基(M11)],结合稀释涂布法和三线划线法从真红树组织中分离菌株,基于菌株16S rRNA基因序列信息等分子生物学鉴定方法对获得的海洋放线菌进行多样性分析,并使用模式生物秀丽隐杆线虫对所得内生放线菌的延缓衰老活性进行研究。结果表明:(1)从46份真红树组织中共获得24株放线菌,隶属于7科11属,其中9株菌株为链霉菌属(Streptomyces),且IMDGX 6270、IMDGX 6137和IMDGX 6173为3株疑似潜在新菌株。(2)秀丽隐杆线虫模型筛选发现4株放线菌(IMDGX 6157、IMDGX 6182、IMDGX 6248、IMDGX 6360)具有延缓衰老的活性,与空白组比较,生存时间分别延长17.16%、28.11%、29.05%、27.10%。综上结果说明海南西海岸区域真红树植物中可能含有较丰富的放线菌资源,能够为延缓衰老药物的研发提供新来源。     

塔里木盆地胀果甘草内生放线菌多样性及抗菌活性分析

【目的】发掘具有开发前景的放线菌资源,对分离自新疆胀果甘草的内生放线菌的多样性、抗菌活性和次级代谢产物合成相关基因进行研究。【方法】采用5种培养基和3种前处理方法,从胀果甘草中分离获得80株放线菌。基于菌株形态学特征,对36株代表菌株进行抗菌活性检测,通过特异性引物扩增方法,检测了PKS I、PKS II、NPRS和卤化酶基因,探究其合成天然产物的潜在能力。结合筛选结果,选取其中20株代表菌,经16S r RNA基因测序,对其进行系统发育分析。【结果】培养基E2和E3结合热处理的分离效果较好;86.1%的代表菌株对供试的细菌、病原真菌表现出了不同程度的抗菌活性,PKS I、PKS II、NRPS基因和卤化酶基因阳性检出率分别为16.7%、72.2%、25.0%和11.1%。具有活性功能的代表菌株经16S r RNA基因测序分析,分别属于链霉菌属(Streptomyces)、小单胞菌属(Micromonospora)、红球菌属(Rhodococcus)和游动放线菌属(Actinoplanes)4个属,其中链霉菌属(Streptomyces)为优势菌属,占60%以上。【结论】胀果甘草是我国传统的药用植物,其植株内部蕴藏着丰富的放线菌资源,并在次生代谢产物合成方面拥有巨大潜力,具有进一步开发的价值。     

Sectoriality and physiological organisation in herbaceous plants: an overview

The physiological organisation of plants is considered in relation to the carbon economy of plant parts. Although assimilate is partitioned according to the relative strength of sinks, in many species there is also a very close relationship between partitioning and shoot phyllotaxy, giving rise to sectorial patterns of allocation whereby only certain sinks are supported by any source leaf. Essentially these sinks are in the same orthostichy as the source leaf. This constraint of the vascular architecture on assimilate distribution to developing sinks such as leaves, flowers and fruits is not always absolute, as following the loss of their principal source leaves these sinks can in many cases be supplied with assimilate by other leaves via new inter-orthostichy pathways. The supply of assimilate to major sinks such as developing fruits becomes more and more localised with time so that a fruit in an axillary position becomes largely supported by its subtending leaf; the reproductive node—a metamer-can thus be regarded as a relatively autonomous unit of the plant (an IPU). Similary, once established after a developmental phase of assimilate import, tiller ramets and branches in unitary plants tend to become physiologically autonomous modules. However, the functional autonomy of tillers is reversed following defoliation or shading as they are then sustained by the import of assimilate, subject to its availability, from unaffected tillers. Consequently the plant becomes physiologically integrated by the flow of assimilate from one part to another. The mainly autonomous ramets of many stoloniferous and rhizomatous species display a similar pattern of physiological integration in response to source manipulation, but in some species the ramets appear to maintain their independent functioning as a normal feature of the carbon allocation within the clone. In other clonal species, as the clone develops and becomes more structurally complex, vascular constraints start to restrict the movement of resources, and the clone becomes composed of a number of semi-autonomous IPUs. In unitary plants branches appear to remain very physiologically isolated in terms of their carbon economy once they become established, irrespective of a range of source-sink manipulations.These different patterns of physiological integration and organisation are discussed in relation to different strategies of assimilate utilisation and conservation.     

常见瓜类植物的内生真菌多样性

为认识和掌握常见瓜类植物内生真菌多样性及其变化规律,对从4个地点采集的9种70株健康瓜类植物进行了内生真菌的分离,共获得534个菌株,总体分离率为20.9%。结合形态学和ITS序列分析,鉴定了分属于55个属的455个菌株,有8个属的真菌属于优势类群,相对多度最高的3个属依次为Colletotrichum、Fusarium和Rhizopycnis。Colletotrichum主要存在于植株地上部,Fusarium主要存在于根部和下部茎,Rhizopycnis主要存在于根部,表现出明显的部位差异。河南原阳不同瓜类植物样品中主要内生真菌类群的相对多度和内生真菌的多样性存在明显差异,蛇瓜中Colletotrichum的相对多度达44.7%,显著高于丝瓜中Colletotrichum的相对多度8.0%;黄瓜中Fusarium的相对多度达32.4%,远高于在其他瓜类植物中的相对多度,而在南瓜中Fusarium的相对多度最低,仅为3.0%。江苏无锡和河南原阳的丝瓜植株样品中内生真菌的类群组成有很大不同,表明植株生长的地理环境可能对内生真菌的组成和多样性具有显著影响。     

海南东寨港真红树植物内生放线菌多样性及其抗菌活性

【目的】勘探海南东寨港真红树植物内生放线菌多样性,为发现放线菌新物种和新抗生素奠定基础。【方法】样品经表面消毒后粉碎,用10种不同培养基分离放线菌;通过PCR扩增、测定并比对16S r RNA基因序列,开展放线菌多样性分析;通过发酵、萃取等处理方法得到四类样品,包括发酵原液、乙酸乙酯提取液及水层和菌体的丙酮浸泡提取液;采用纸片扩散法对样品进行抗菌活性筛选;基于PCR的基因筛选技术探测活性菌株可能存在的NRPS、PKS I、PKS II抗生素生物合成基因。【结果】经形态特征排重,从14种真红树植物样品中共得到放线菌146株,16S r RNA基因序列比对表明它们分布于13个科18个属,其中链霉菌属为优势菌属,菌株S3Cf-2和S3Af-1的16S r RNA基因序列分别与有效发表菌株Couchioplanes caeruleus DSM44103T(X93202)和Microlunatus terrae BS6T(JF806519)的相似率最高,分别为97.45%和97.43%,可能为新物种。对其中46株放线菌发酵样品的抗菌活性检测表明,40株具有抗菌活性,总阳性率为86.96%;活性菌株中,38株菌存在至少一种所探测的生物合成基因簇,阳性率为95%,其中14株同时具有所探测的3种抗生素生物合成基因簇。【结论】海南东寨港真红树植物中存在多样性丰富的药用放线菌资源,具有从中发现放线菌新物种及新抗生素的潜力。     

高温放线菌的多样性

高温微生物能在高温环境下生存,并能维持其自身生理生化过程的酶系和化合物的稳定性[1].自1969年发现水生栖热菌(Thermus aquaticus)以后[2],高温菌就引起微生物学家的极大关注.高温菌两个显著的特点决定了其在现代分子生物学和工业应用上的重要价值:一是热稳定性功能分子;二是生长极快且会自溶,能在高温条件下发酵而不易受污染.     

Diversity of endophytic enterobacteria associated with different host plants

Fifty-three endophytic enterobacteria isolates from citrus, cocoa, eucalyptus, soybean, and sugar cane were evaluated for susceptibility to the antibiotics ampicillin and kanamycin, and cellulase production. Susceptibility was found on both tested antibiotics. However, in the case of ampicillin susceptibility changed according to the host plant, while all isolates were susceptible to kanamycin. Cellulase production also changed according to host plants. The diversity of these isolates was estimated by employing BOX-PCR genomic fingerprints and 16S rDNA sequencing. In total, twenty-three distinct operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified by employing a criterion of 60% fingerprint similarity as a surrogate for an OTU. The 23 OTUs belong to the Pantoea and Enterobacter genera, while their high diversity could be an indication of paraphyletic classification. Isolates representing nine different OTUs belong to Pantoea agglomerans, P. ananatis, P. stewartii, Enterobacter sp., and E. homaechei. The results of this study suggest that plant species may select endophytic bacterial genotypes. It has also become apparent that a review of the Pantoea/Enterobacter genera may be necessary.     

川楝内生放线菌多样性及抗菌活性筛选

【目的】探究药用植物川楝内生放线菌多样性,从中挖掘出新的放线菌菌株,发现新的潜在农业生防和医药先导化合物。【方法】从四川境内的资阳、遂宁以及重庆万州采集川楝的根、茎、叶、果、皮,采用纯培养方法,用4种培养基共分离获得148株放线菌。通过形态学观察筛选出60株放线菌进行RFLP分析,选出代表菌株进行16S r RNA基因序列分析。以3株细菌和6株病原真菌作为指示菌株,检测初筛出的60株菌株的抗菌活性以及聚酮合酶(PKSⅠ、PKSⅡ)基因、非核糖体多肽合成酶(NRPS)基因和卤化酶(Halo)基因。【结果】基于16S r RNA-RFLP分析,60株放线菌被分成10簇,筛选出25株代表菌株分别属于7个属,包括Streptomyces、Micromonospora、Planotetraspora、Streptosporangium、Nocardiopsis、Prauseria、Microbispora,其中链霉菌占73.3%。供试的川楝内生放线菌对细菌、真菌有不同程度的抗菌活性;其中含有4类化合物合成基因的菌株占10%-55%。【结论】药用植物川楝内生放线菌具有丰富的多样性,且不同地区不同部位川楝组织中放线菌的种群存在差异;分离菌株广谱的抗菌活性证明,川楝内生放线菌在次生代谢产物合成方面具有巨大潜力,这为进一步的药物开发提供了丰富的菌种资源。     

广西大石围天坑群草本植物多样性及其生态位变化规律

研究不同发育时期天坑草本植物的多样性,能更好的理解草本层对天坑环境变化的响应机制。以广西大石围天坑群中不同发育时期天坑(初期、中期和后期)为研究对象,采用空间代替时间的方法,分析不同发育时期天坑草本植物多样性和生态位变化规律。结果表明：(1)广西大石围天坑群调查样地共记录到草本植物34科71属98种,以鳞毛蕨科、荨麻科、凤尾蕨科、菊科和禾本科为主。(2)后期天坑草本植物的Pielou′s指数和Shannon-Wiener指数均显著高于初期天坑(P<0.05),表明随着天坑发育到后期,草本层物种数逐渐增多,物种分布更为均匀。(3)随着天坑的发育,草本层喜阴植物重要值下降,喜阳、半阴植物重要值上升,喜阳植物逐渐取代喜阴植物在群落中占据优势地位,草本层将经历喜阴植物—喜阴、半阴植物—喜阳植物的三个生态型转变过程。(4)各发育时期优势草本生态位相似性比例和生态位重叠平均值均<0.5,表明天坑不同发育时期对草本植物的生态位影响较小,各时期草本层总体呈现生态分化明显、种间竞争较弱的特点。(5)各发育时期优势草本生态位重叠值大、相对高度差小的种对数中,不同生态习性的种对数占比不同,中期天...     

Diversity and biogeography of marine actinobacteria

The actinomycetes, although not all the Actinobacteria, are easy to isolate from the marine environment. However, their ecological role in the marine ecosystem is largely neglected and various assumptions meant there was little incentive to isolate strains for search and discovery of new drugs. However, the marine environment has become a prime resource in search and discovery for novel natural products and biological diversity, and marine actinomycetes turn out to be important contributors. Similarly, striking advances have been made in marine microbial ecology using molecular techniques and metagenomics, and actinobacteria emerge as an often significant, sometimes even dominant, environmental clade. Both approaches - cultivation methods and molecular techniques - are leading to new insights into marine actinobacterial biodiversity and biogeography. Very different views of actinobacterial diversity emerge from these, however, and the true extent and biogeography of this are still not clear. These are important for developing natural product search and discovery strategies, and biogeography is a hot topic for microbial ecologists.     

Diversity and ecological distribution of endophytic fungi associated with medicinal plants

A total of 973 isolates of endophytic fungi were recovered from 1144 tissue fragments of the six me-dicinal plant species belonging to 4 families collected in the Beijing Botanical Garden. Of these isolates 778 sporulated and were identified into 21 taxa by morphological characteristics. Among the taxa 11 belonged to Coelomycetes, 6 to Ascomycetes, and 4 to Hyphomycetes. Various numbers of endophytic fungi (5―8 taxa) were obtained from each plant. Alternaria alternata was the dominant species in the 6 plants, and Microsphaeropsis conielloides was also dominant in Eucommia ulmoides. There were high colonization rates (47.9%―63.1%) and isolation rates (0.7―0.93) of endophytic fungi, and they were conspicuously higher in twigs than those in leaves in the 6 plants examined. The colonization and isolation rates of endophytic fungi increased with the twig age. The results based on the analyses of cluster and Sorenson's similarity coefficients indicated that some endophytic fungi showed a certain degree of host and tissue preference.     

Diversity and ecological distribution of endophytic fungi associated with medicinal plants

A total of 973 isolates of endophytic fungi were recovered from 1144 tissue fragments of the six medicinal plant species belonging to 4 families collected in the Beijing Botanical Garden. Of these isolates 778 sporulated and were identified into 21 taxa by morphological characteristics. Among the taxa 11 belonged to Coelomycetes, 6 to Ascomycetes, and 4 to Hyphomycetes. Various numbers of endophytic fungi (5–8 taxa) were obtained from each plant. Alternaria alternata was the dominant species in the 6 plants, and Microsphaeropsis conielloides was also dominant in Eucommia ulmoides. There were high colonization rates (47.9%–63.1%) and isolation rates (0.7–0.93) of endophytic fungi, and they were conspicuously higher in twigs than those in leaves in the 6 plants examined. The colonization and isolation rates of endophytic fungi increased with the twig age. The results based on the analyses of cluster and Sorenson’s similarity coefficients indicated that some endophytic fungi showed a certain degree of host and tissue preference.     

广西北部湾红树植物内生真菌多样性

【目的】研究广西北部湾地区红树植物内生真菌多样性,建立北部湾红树植物内生真菌种质资源库,为利用内生真菌生物技术促进农业可持续发展提供理论依据。【方法】从广西北部湾地区采集红树植物组织样本,采用表面消毒法分离真菌,通过测定分离菌株对宿主植物是否具有致病性来筛选内生真菌,结合形态学特征和分子生物学分析对内生真菌进行分类与鉴定。【结果】从60个红树植物样本中分离得到1 764个菌株,经过致病性测定筛选获得41株内生真菌,分离率为2.3%。其中从宿主植物红海榄分离得到15株内生真菌,占总菌株数的36.6%,比例最高。通过分析,发现这些内生真菌在ITS-NJ、NS-NJ两个系统发育树上各聚为7个大分支,分属8个科(目)。其中球腔菌属Mycosphaerella、德福里斯孢属Devriesia、假尾孢属Pseudocercospora、枝孢霉属Cladosporium、Pleosporales等属(科)真菌是广西红树林的优势菌。【结论】广西北部湾地区红树植物内生真菌菌种资源丰富。     

Potential use of endophytic root bacteria and host plants to degrade hydrocarbons

Abstract

Microbe-assisted phytoremediation depends on competent root-associated microorganisms that enhance remediation efficiency of organic compounds. Endophytic bacteria are a key element of the root microbiome and may assist plant degradation of contaminants. The aim of this study was to investigate the application of four hydrocarbon-degrading endophytic strains previously isolated from an oil sands reclamation area. Strains EA1-17 (Stenotrophomonas sp.), EA2-30 (Flavobacterium sp.), EA4-40 (Pantoea sp.), and EA6-5 (Pseudomonas sp.) were inoculated in white sweet clover growing on soils amended with diesel at 5,000, 10,000, and 20,000?mg·kg^?1. Our results indicate that plant growth inhibition caused by diesel fuel toxicity was overcome in inoculated plants, which showed significantly higher plant biomass. Analysis of soil F2 and F3 hydrocarbon fractions also revealed that these soils were remediated by inoculated plants when diesel was applied at 10,000?mg·kg^?1 and 20,000?mg·kg^?1. In addition, quantification of hydrocarbon-degrading genes suggests that all bacterial strains successfully colonized sweet clover plants. Overall, the endophytic strain EA6-5 (Pseudomonas sp.), which harbored hydrocarbon-degrading genes, was the most effective candidate in phytoremediation experiments and could be a strategy to increase plant tolerance and hydrocarbon degradation in contaminated (e.g., diesel fuel) soils.     

Reduced herbivory during simulated ENSO rainy events increases native herbaceous plants in semiarid Chile

El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events have profound consequences for the dynamics of terrestrial ecosystems. Since increased climate variability is expected to favour the invasive success of exotic species, we conducted a field experiment to study the effects that simulated rainy ENSO events in combination with herbivores and shade have on the composition of a semiarid herbaceous community in north-central Chile. We hypothesized that water pulses, such as those associated with rainy ENSO events could trigger significant changes in the relative abundance of exotic and native herbaceous species. Specifically, we predicted an increase in native grasses and a reduction in the abundance of exotic species, especially prostrate forbs, if water pulses were combined with reduced herbivory. We found that herbivory by small mammals, especially introduced European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and hares (Lepus europaeus), have an overwhelming effect on species abundance and composition in this semiarid herbaceous community. Herbivore exclusion produced an overall increase in herb density and biomass mostly due to the extraordinary growth of tall native grasses (especially Bromus berterianus) that outcompeted small prostrate forbs (both native and exotic ones), and small exotic grasses (Koeleria pleoides, Schismus arabicus). Our results suggest that it might be possible to enhance the recovery of native grasses by applying efficient herbivore control during rainy years such as those associated with ENSO events although a negative consequence would be the loss of small native forbs, which greatly contribute to the richness of herbaceous communities in semiarid ecosystems.     

Occurrence,physiological and molecular analysis of endophytic diazotrophic bacteria in gramineous energy plants

Endophytic diazotrophic bacteria could be isolated from the energy plants Pennisetum purpureum, Miscanthus sinensis, Miscanthus sacchariflorus and Spartina pectinata using semisolid nitrogen free media. Higher levels of diazotrophic bacteria were found if no nitrogen fertilizer was applied. The bacteria were characterized on the basis of typical morphology, physiological tests, and the use of phylogenetic oligonucleotide probes. They belong partially to the species Azospirillum lipoferum and Herbaspirillum seropedicae while others supposedly represent a new species of Herbaspirillum. Using PCR-fingerprinting techniques a limited genetic diversity of these isolates was found which may indicate an adaptation to the specific conditions of the interior of these plants.