Effect of the fungicide captafol on the survival and symbiotic properties of Rhizobium trifolii |
| |
| Authors: | J.E. Ruiz-Sainz,J.E. Beringer &Dagger ,A.M. Gutierrez-Navarro&dagger |
| |
| Affiliation: | Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, Avda. Reina Mercedes s/n, Seville, Spain;*Soil Microbiology Department, Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, Herts. AL5 2JQ, UK;‡Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain |
| |
| Abstract: | The fungicide captafol is toxic to Rhizobium trifolii at concentrations greater than 75 μg/ml, and at lower concentrations it affects growth adversely. Captafol-resistant mutants were isolated and all were found to have lost the same plasmid and the ability to nodulate clovers. Nodulation plasmids transferred from a R. leguminosarum or R. trifolii donor to the resistant mutants conferred the ability to nodulate peas and clover plants, respectively. The rhizobia remained resistant to captafol indicating that the genetic alteration leading to captafol resistance was not necessarily detrimental to the ability of the bacteria to form nitrogen fixing nodules. These results indicate that captafol may act as a plasmid-curing agent in R. trifolii. |
| |
| Keywords: | |
|
|
