title: Phenotypic and genotypic diversity of Genista saharae microsymbionts from the infra-arid region of Tunisia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Genista saharae, indigenous of Sahara, is a spontaneous shrub that plays an important ecological role for the preservation and fertility of poor and eroded soils. This legume has not been examined for its root nodule bacteria. The taxonomic diversity of bacteria from root nodules of G. saharae growing in the infra-arid region of Tunisia was investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 28 bacterial strains isolated from root nodules of G. saharae grown in Tunisian soil were characterized using a polyphasic approach including phenotypic characteristics, PCR-RFLP of 16S rDNA and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. It was found that new isolates are diverse and affiliated to Ensifer (75%), Rhizobium (10%) and Phyllobacterium (15%). The Phyllobacterium isolates lacked the capacity for nodule formation on this plant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Genista saharae formed nodules with diverse rhizobia in Tunisian soils. Furthermore, our results support the presence of non-nodulating commensal strains (Phyllobacterium) in legumes nodule.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is the first report on the characterization of G. saharae microsymbionts in Tunisia.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biotechnologies végétales Appliquées à l'Amélioration des cultures, Faculté des Sciences de Gabès, Cité Erriadh Zrig Gabès, Tunisia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mahdhi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nzoué
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gueye
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Merabet
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Lajudie
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mars
mesh_terms: D020561:Alphaproteobacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D044822:Biodiversity; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D039761:Genista / Q000382:microbiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000382:microbiology*; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014416:Tunisia
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S