Identification of Fast-Growing Rhizobia Nodulating Tropical Legumes from Puerto Rico as Rhizobium gallicum and Rhizobium tropici

• Published in: Systematic and applied microbiology 2004-08, Vol.27 (4), p.469-477
• Main Authors: Zurdo-Piñeiro, José Luis, Velázquez, Encarna, Lorite, María José, Brelles-Mariño, Graciela, Schröder, Eduardo C., Bedmar, Eulogio J., Mateos, Pedro F., Martínez-Molina, Eustoquio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acacia dealbata; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; bacterial diversity; Bacterial Proteins; Biological and medical sciences; Caliandra; DNA, Ribosomal - analysis; Economic plant physiology; Fabaceae; Fabaceae - microbiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Leguminosae; Molecular Sequence Data; N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferases - genetics; Neptunia; Nitrogen Fixation; Phenotype; Piptadenia; Poitea; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; Polyphasic taxonomy; Puerto Rico; Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique; Rhizobium; Rhizobium - classification; Rhizobium - genetics; Rhizobium - growth & development; Rhizobium gallicum; Rhizobium tropici; Rhizobium tropici - classification; Rhizobium tropici - genetics; Rhizobium tropici - growth & development; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Sesbania; Symbiosis; Symbiosis (nodules, symbiotic nitrogen fixation, mycorrhiza...); Tropical Climate; tropical legumes
• ISSN: 0723-2020; 1618-0984
• DOI: 10.1078/0723202041438437

Fifteen isolates from several nodulated tropical legumes from Puerto Rico (USA) were characterised by their phenotypic, molecular and symbiotic features. The identification of isolates was based on a polyphasic approach, including phenotypic characteristics, 16S rRNA sequencing, Low molecular weight (LMW) RNA profiles, Two Primers-RAPD patterns, and restriction patterns from 16S rDNA molecules. Despite of the variety of hosts included in this study the 15 isolates were separated into only two groups that corresponded to Rhizobium gallicum and Rhizobium tropici. This work shows that R. gallicum and R. tropici nodulate legume plants, such as Sesbania, Caliandra, Poitea, Piptadenia, Neptunia and Mimosa species, that were not previously considered as hosts for these rhizobia. Moreover, some of these host plants can be nodulated by both species. The results confirm the great promiscuity of R. tropici and also support the hypothesis that the species R. gallicum may be native from America or cosmopolitan and worldwide spread.