title: Mesorhizobium ciceri LMS-1 expressing an exogenous 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase increases its nodulation abilities and chickpea plant resistance to soil constraints.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our goal was to understand the symbiotic behaviour of a Mesorhizobium strain expressing an exogenous 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase, which was used as an inoculant of chickpea (Cicer arietinum) plants growing in soil.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mesorhizobium ciceri LMS-1 (pRKACC) was tested for its plant growth promotion abilities on two chickpea cultivars (ELMO and CHK3226) growing in nonsterilized soil that displayed biotic and abiotic constraints to plant growth. When compared to its wild-type form, the M. ciceri LMS-1 (pRKACC) strain showed an increased nodulation performance of c. 125 and 180% and increased nodule weight of c. 45 and 147% in chickpea cultivars ELMO and CHK3226, respectively. Mesorhizobium ciceri LMS-1 (pRKACC) was also able to augment the total biomass of both chickpea plant cultivars by c. 45% and to reduce chickpea root rot disease susceptibility.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results obtained indicate that the production of ACC deaminase under free living conditions by Mesorhizobium strains increases the nodulation, plant growth abilities and biocontrol potential of these strains.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study regarding the use of a transformed rhizobial strain expressing an exogenous ACC deaminase in different plant cultivars growing in soil. Hence, obtaining Mesorhizobium strains with high ACC deaminase activity is a matter of extreme importance for the development of inoculants for field applications.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Microbiologia do Solo, ICAAM, Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, Universidade de Évora, Évora, Portugal.
authors.forename: F X
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Nascimento
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brígido
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Glick
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alho
mesh_terms: D061046:Biological Control Agents; D018533:Biomass; D019755:Carbon-Carbon Lyases / Q000378:metabolism*; D029863:Cicer / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology*; D005670:Fusarium / Q000472:pathogenicity; D059128:Mesorhizobium / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000502:physiology; D030781:Organisms, Genetically Modified / Q000502:physiology; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D055170:Plant Root Nodulation; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000382:microbiology; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D013559:Symbiosis; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
chemical_list: D061046:Biological Control Agents; D012987:Soil; C033634:1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase; D019755:Carbon-Carbon Lyases