title: Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of rhizobia associated with Acacia saligna (Labill.) Wendl. in nurseries from Algeria.
abstract: Twenty seven rhizobial strains associated with Acacia saligna grown in northern and southern Algeria were characterized, including generation time, host-range, the 16S rRNA gene and 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer restriction patterns, 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis and tolerance to salinity and drought. Cross inoculation tests indicated that 11 slow-growing isolates from northern nurseries were able to nodulate introduced Australian acacias exclusively, whereas 16 fast-growing isolates, mainly from southern nurseries, were capable of also nodulating native acacias. Restriction patterns and sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene showed that strains of the first group belonged to Bradyrhizobium while strains of the second group were related to Sinorhizobium meliloti and Rhizobium gallicum. Interestingly, five strains of the first group formed a distinct cluster phylogenetically close to Bradyrhizobium betae, a non-nodulating species causing tumour-like deformations in sugar beet roots. Bradyrhizobium strains were in general more sensitive to NaCl and PEG than the S. meliloti and R. gallicum representatives. Among the latter, strains S. meliloti BEC1 and R. gallicum DJA2 were able to tolerate up to 1M NaCl and 20% PEG. This, together with their wide host-range among Acacia species, make them good candidates for developing inoculants for A. saligna and other acacia trees growing in arid areas.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biologie du Sol, Faculté des Sciences Biologiques, USTHB, Algiers, Algeria.
authors.forename: Said
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Amrani
authors.forename: Nazhat-Ezzaman
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Noureddine
authors.forename: Tej
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bhatnagar
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Argandoña
authors.forename: Joaquin J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Nieto
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vargas
mesh_terms: D000045:Acacia / Q000382:microbiology*; D000462:Algeria; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D055864:Droughts; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000494:pharmacology; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012230:Rhizobiaceae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D054712:Salinity; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D013312:Stress, Physiological
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012965:Sodium Chloride