Skip to main content
PMC home page
Applied and Environmental Microbiology logoLink to Applied and Environmental Microbiology
. 1987 Feb;53(2):397–402. doi: 10.1128/aem.53.2.397-402.1987

Rhizobium Population Genetics: Enzyme Polymorphism in Rhizobium leguminosarum from Plants and Soil in a Pea Crop

J P W Young 1,*, L Demetriou 1, R G Apte 1
PMCID: PMC203672  PMID: 16347287

Abstract

A population of Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar viceae symbiotic on the roots of a commercial pea (Pisum sativum cv. Maro) crop was sampled by extracting a total of 249 isolates from root nodules on nine plants. Another 104 isolates were obtained by using soil from the same site to inoculate test plants, and a further 86 isolates were similarly obtained from soil 20 m distant within the crop. Each isolate was characterized for mobility variants of the enzymes glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, superoxide dismutase, and β-galactosidase by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. All three enzymes were polymorphic, and there was a strong disequilibrium among them. Of the 15 observed combinations of alleles (electrophoretic types [ETs]), 12 were indistinguishable from those previously described for isolates from a site 25 km distant. ET frequencies were significantly different among isolates from nodules on primary roots as opposed to lateral roots. The population on each individual plant was very diverse, but ET frequencies were similar from plant to plant. The ETs nodulating the primary roots were almost, although not perfectly, mixed, since the incidence of the same ETs in adjacent nodules was only about twice that expected by chance. The two samples derived from soil had the same ET frequencies but were significantly different from the field nodule sample, although the level of diversity was similar and there were no new ETs.

Full text

PDF
400

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Beringer J. E. R factor transfer in Rhizobium leguminosarum. J Gen Microbiol. 1974 Sep;84(1):188–198. doi: 10.1099/00221287-84-1-188. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Brill Winston J. Safety concerns and genetic engineering in agriculture. Science. 1985 Jan 25;227(4685):381–384. doi: 10.1126/science.11643810. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bromfield E. S., Sinha I. B., Wolynetz M. S. Influence of Location, Host Cultivar, and Inoculation on the Composition of Naturalized Populations of Rhizobium meliloti in Medicago sativa Nodules. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1986 May;51(5):1077–1084. doi: 10.1128/aem.51.5.1077-1084.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Caugant D. A., Levin B. R., Selander R. K. Genetic diversity and temporal variation in the E. coli population of a human host. Genetics. 1981 Jul;98(3):467–490. doi: 10.1093/genetics/98.3.467. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Dowdle S. F., Bohlool B. B. Predominance of Fast-Growing Rhizobium japonicum in a Soybean Field in the People's Republic of China. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1985 Nov;50(5):1171–1176. doi: 10.1128/aem.50.5.1171-1176.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Hartl D. L., Dykhuizen D. E. The population genetics of Escherichia coli. Annu Rev Genet. 1984;18:31–68. doi: 10.1146/annurev.ge.18.120184.000335. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Kamicker B. J., Brill W. J. Identification of Bradyrhizobium japonicum Nodule Isolates from Wisconsin Soybean Farms. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1986 Mar;51(3):487–492. doi: 10.1128/aem.51.3.487-492.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Meade J., Higgins P., O'gara F. Studies on the Inoculation and Competitiveness of a Rhizobium leguminosarum Strain in Soils Containing Indigenous Rhizobia. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1985 Apr;49(4):899–903. doi: 10.1128/aem.49.4.899-903.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Moawad H. A., Ellis W. R., Schmidt E. L. Rhizosphere Response as a Factor in Competition Among Three Serogroups of Indigenous Rhizobium japonicum for Nodulation of Field-Grown Soybeans. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1984 Apr;47(4):607–612. doi: 10.1128/aem.47.4.607-612.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Nei M. Estimation of average heterozygosity and genetic distance from a small number of individuals. Genetics. 1978 Jul;89(3):583–590. doi: 10.1093/genetics/89.3.583. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Noel K. D., Brill W. J. Diversity and Dynamics of Indigenous Rhizobium japonicum Populations. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1980 Nov;40(5):931–938. doi: 10.1128/aem.40.5.931-938.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Robert F. M., Schmidt E. L. Population Changes and Persistence of Rhizobium phaseoli in Soil and Rhizospheres. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1983 Feb;45(2):550–556. doi: 10.1128/aem.45.2.550-556.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Selander R. K., Caugant D. A., Ochman H., Musser J. M., Gilmour M. N., Whittam T. S. Methods of multilocus enzyme electrophoresis for bacterial population genetics and systematics. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1986 May;51(5):873–884. doi: 10.1128/aem.51.5.873-884.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. van Rensburg H. J., Strijdom B. W. Effectiveness of Rhizobium strains used in inoculants after their introduction into soil. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1985 Jan;49(1):127–131. doi: 10.1128/aem.49.1.127-131.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Applied and Environmental Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES