title: Endophytic microbial community in two transgenic maize genotypes and in their near-isogenic non-transgenic maize genotype.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite all the benefits assigned to the genetically modified plants, there are still no sufficient data available in literature concerning the possible effects on the microbial communities associated with these plants. Therefore, this study was aimed at examining the effects of the genetic modifications of two transgenic maize genotypes (MON810--expressing the insecticidal Bt-toxin and TC1507--expressing the insecticidal Bt-toxin and the herbicide resistance PAT [phosphinothricin-N-acetyltransferase]) on their endophytic microbial communities, in comparison to the microbial community found in the near-isogenic non-transgenic maize (control).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The structure of the endophytic communities (Bacteria, Archaea and fungi) and their composition (Bacteria) were evaluated by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and the construction of clone libraries, respectively. DGGE analysis and the clone libraries of the bacterial community showed that genotype TC1507 slightly differed from the other two genotypes. Genotype TC1507 showed a higher diversity within its endophytic bacterial community when compared to the other genotypes. Although some bacterial genera were found in all genotypes, such as the genera Burkholderia, Achromobacer and Stenotrophomonas, some were unique to genotype TC1507. Moreover, OTUs associated with Enterobacter predominated only in TC1507 clone libraries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The endophytic bacterial community of the maize genotype TC1507 differed from the communities of the maize genotype MON810 and of their near-isogenic parental genotypes (non-Bt or control). The differences observed among the maize genotypes studied may be associated with insertion of the gene coding for the protein PAT present only in the transgenic genotype TC1507.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. debora.alvesf@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Débora Alves Ferreira
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências do Solo, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil. raposo.cotta@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Simone Raposo
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Cotta
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. revollu@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Renata Estebanez
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Vollú
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. diogoj@micro.ufrj.br.
authors.forename: Diogo de Azevedo
authors.initials: Dde A
authors.lastname: Jurelevicius
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. jomonteza@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Joana Montezano
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.affiliation: EMBRAPA/CNPMS- Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária, Centro Nacional de Pesquisas de Milho e Sorgo, Sete Lagoas, MG, Brazil. ivanildo.marriel@embrapa.br.
authors.forename: Ivanildo Evódio
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: Marriel
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. lseldin@micro.ufrj.br.|Laboratório de Genética Microbiana, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Bloco I, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP 21941-590, Brazil. lseldin@micro.ufrj.br.
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Seldin
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development*; D060026:Endophytes / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology*; D003313:Zea mays / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology*