Bacteria closely related to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phyllobacterium trifolii</Emphasis> according to their 16S rRNA gene are discovered in the nodules of Hungarian sainfoin

The population genetic diversity and phylogeny of the bacteria entering the symbiosis with sainfoin that grows on the Chesnokovskaya Mountain, Ufaregion, Republic of Bashkortostan, have been studied. RAPD analysis of DNA polymorphism of the microbial strains grown from the nodules of 20 plants using several random primers detected a high degree of genetic homogeneity in their population as compared with the populations of rhizobia of other leguminous plants growing at the same site. Sequencing of 16S rRNA genes of the three most different samples have demonstrated that these genes were identical and display 99.9% homology with the sequence of Phyllobacterium trifolii 16S rRNA gene.