title: Identification of fast-growing rhizobia nodulating tropical legumes from Puerto Rico as Rhizobium gallicum and Rhizobium tropici.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Zurdo-Piñeiro
authors.forename: Encarna
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Velázquez
authors.forename: María José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lorite
authors.forename: Graciela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brelles-Mariño
authors.forename: Eduardo C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Schröder
authors.forename: Eulogio J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Bedmar
authors.forename: Pedro F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Mateos
authors.forename: Eustoquio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martínez-Molina
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis; D007887:Fabaceae / Q000382:microbiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017351:N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferases / Q000235:genetics; D009586:Nitrogen Fixation; D010641:Phenotype; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D011647:Puerto Rico; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D019105:Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique; D012231:Rhizobium / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D042162:Rhizobium tropici / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013559:Symbiosis; D014329:Tropical Climate
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D017351:N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferases; C060771:NodC protein, Rhizobiales