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Molecular diversity of nitrogen-fixing bacteria associated with Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Roberty (vetiver), an essential oil producer plant

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Abstract

The essential oil produced by vetiver can vary in amount and composition depending on the bacterial community associated with its roots. Some of these bacteria could also promote plant growth by fixing nitrogen. This study aimed to analyze the diversity of diazotrophic bacteria tightly associated with roots of different vetiver genotypes. nifH-based PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and clone libraries were used. DGGE profiles obtained from bulk and rhizosphere soils and root DNA amplified with nifH primers showed that samples from rhizosphere soil and root were separated at 68% similarity. Twelve bands were excised from the DGGE and sequenced. High similarity with nifH sequences of Bradyrhizobium sp., Pseudacidovorax sp. and Xanthobacter sp. was observed. Moreover, three nifH clone libraries were generated using polF/polR-primers from root DNA samples obtained from vetiver genotypes UFS-VET001, UFS-VET003 and UFS-VET004. In UFS-VET001, 24.2% of 95 clones were affiliated with sequences of Mesorhizobium loti while in UFS-VET003 41.5% of 89 clones were affiliated with Sphingomonas azotifigens, and in UFS-VET004 36.4% of 85 clones were affiliated with Klebsiella pneumoniae. The data obtained can be used to guide the isolation of diazotrophic bacteria, which may contribute to plant growth promotion and improvement of the production of essential oil in vetiver.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by grants from the National Research Council of Brazil (CNPq) and FAPERJ.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Microbiologia Prof. Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP 21941–590, Brazil

    Renata E. Vollú, Lucy Seldin & Marcia Reed Rodrigues Coelho

  2. Departamento de Engenharia Agronômica, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Aracajú, SE, CEP 49100–000, Brazil

    Arie F. Blank

  3. Laboratório de Genética Microbiana, Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia Prof. Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Bloco I, Ilha do Fundão, CEP 21941.590, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    Lucy Seldin

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  1. Renata E. Vollú
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  2. Arie F. Blank
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  3. Lucy Seldin
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  4. Marcia Reed Rodrigues Coelho
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Correspondence to Lucy Seldin.

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Responsible Editor: Euan K. James.

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Vollú, R.E., Blank, A.F., Seldin, L. et al. Molecular diversity of nitrogen-fixing bacteria associated with Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Roberty (vetiver), an essential oil producer plant. Plant Soil 356, 101–111 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-011-0801-3

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