title: Methylobacterium nodulans sp. nov., for a group of aerobic, facultatively methylotrophic, legume root-nodule-forming and nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
abstract: Data on 72 non-pigmented bacterial strains that specifically induce nitrogen-fixing root nodules on the legume species Crotalaria glaucoides, Crotalaria perrottetii and Crotalaria podocarpa are reviewed. By SDS-PAGE analysis of total protein patterns and by 16S rRNA PCR-RFLP, these strains form a homogeneous group that is separate from other legume root-nodule-forming bacteria. The 16S rRNA gene-based phylogeny indicates that these bacteria belong to the genus Methylobacterium. They can grow on C(1) compounds such as methanol, formate and formaldehyde but not methylamine as sole carbon source, and carry an mxaF gene, encoding methanol dehydrogenase, which supports their methylotrophic metabolism. Presence of a nodA nodulation gene, and ability to nodulate plants of Crotalaria species and to fix nitrogen are features that separate the strains currently included in this group from other members of the genus Methylobacterium. The present study includes additional genotypic and phenotypic characterization of this novel Methylobacterium species, i.e. nifH gene sequence, morphology, physiology, enzymic and carbon source assimilation tests and antibiotic resistance. The name Methylobacterium nodulans sp. nov. (type strain, ORS 2060(T)=CNCM I 2342(T)=LMG 21967(T)) is proposed for this group of root-nodule-forming bacteria.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire des Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, UMR 1063, IRD/CIRAD/INRA/Agro-M/UMII, TA 10/J, Campus International de Baillarguet, 34398 Montpellier cedex 5, France.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jourand
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire des Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, UMR 1063, IRD/CIRAD/INRA/Agro-M/UMII, TA 10/J, Campus International de Baillarguet, 34398 Montpellier cedex 5, France.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Giraud
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire des Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, UMR 1063, IRD/CIRAD/INRA/Agro-M/UMII, TA 10/J, Campus International de Baillarguet, 34398 Montpellier cedex 5, France.
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Béna
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire des Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, UMR 1063, IRD/CIRAD/INRA/Agro-M/UMII, TA 10/J, Campus International de Baillarguet, 34398 Montpellier cedex 5, France.
authors.forename: Abdoulaye
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sy
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology, University of Gent, Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Willems
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology, University of Gent, Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gillis
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire des Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, UMR 1063, IRD/CIRAD/INRA/Agro-M/UMII, TA 10/J, Campus International de Baillarguet, 34398 Montpellier cedex 5, France.
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dreyfus
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire des Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, UMR 1063, IRD/CIRAD/INRA/Agro-M/UMII, TA 10/J, Campus International de Baillarguet, 34398 Montpellier cedex 5, France.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Lajudie
mesh_terms: D000217:Acyltransferases / Q000235:genetics; D000429:Alcohol Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D029864:Crotalaria / Q000382:microbiology*; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D005561:Formates / Q000378:metabolism; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D000432:Methanol / Q000378:metabolism; D008744:Methylamines / Q000378:metabolism; D020580:Methylobacterium / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009586:Nitrogen Fixation; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D020543:Proteome; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D005561:Formates; D008744:Methylamines; D020543:Proteome; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; C030544:formic acid; D005557:Formaldehyde; C027451:methylamine; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D000429:Alcohol Oxidoreductases; C019641:alcohol dehydrogenase (acceptor); C029130:nitrogenase reductase; D000217:Acyltransferases; C060770:NodA protein, Rhizobiales; D000432:Methanol