title: Ensifer shofinae sp. nov., a novel rhizobial species isolated from root nodules of soybean (Glycine max).
abstract: Two bacterial strains isolated from root nodules of soybean were characterized phylogenetically as members of a distinct group in the genus Ensifer based on 16S rRNA gene comparisons. They were also verified as a separated group by the concatenated sequence analyses of recA, atpD and glnII (with similarities ≤93.9% to the type strains for defined species), and by the average nucleotide identities (ANI) between the whole genome sequence of the representative strain CCBAU 251167Tand those of the closely related strains in Ensifer glycinis and Ensifer fredii (90.5% and 90.3%, respectively). Phylogeny of symbiotic genes (nodC and nifH) grouped these two strains together with some soybean-nodulating strains of E. fredii, E. glycinis and Ensifer sojae. Nodulation tests indicated that the representative strain CCBAU 251167Tcould form root nodules with capability of nitrogen fixing on its host plant and Glycine soja, Cajanus cajan, Vigna unguiculata, Phaseolus vulgaris and Astragalus membranaceus, and it formed ineffective nodules on Leucaena leucocephala. Strain CCBAU 251167Tcontained fatty acids 18:1 ω9c, 18:0 iso and 20:0, differing from other related strains. Utilization of l-threonine and d-serine as carbon source, growth at pH 6.0 and intolerance of 1% (w/v) NaCl distinguished strain CCBAU 251167Tfrom other type strains of the related species. The genome size of CCBAU 251167Twas 6.2Mbp, comprising 7,581 predicted genes with DNA G+C content of 59.9mol% and 970 unique genes. Therefore, a novel species, Ensifer shofinae sp. nov., is proposed, with CCBAU 251167T(=ACCC 19939T=LMG 29645T) as type strain.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Agro-Biotechnology; College of Biological Sciences and Rhizobium Research Center, China Agricultural University; MOA Key Laboratory of Soil Microbiology; Beijing 100193, PR China; Engineering Research Centre of Plant Growth Regulators, Ministry of Education; College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University; Beijing 100193, PR China; College of Life Science & Food Engineering, Yibin University, Yibin 644000, Sichuan Province, PR China.
authors.forename: Wen Hao
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Agro-Biotechnology; College of Biological Sciences and Rhizobium Research Center, China Agricultural University; MOA Key Laboratory of Soil Microbiology; Beijing 100193, PR China; Shandong Shofine Seed Technology Co. Ltd., Jiaxiang 272400, PR China.
authors.forename: Sheng Hui
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Engineering Research Centre of Plant Growth Regulators, Ministry of Education; College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University; Beijing 100193, PR China.
authors.forename: Zhao Hu
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources Collection and Preservation, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiao Xia
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Agro-Biotechnology; College of Biological Sciences and Rhizobium Research Center, China Agricultural University; MOA Key Laboratory of Soil Microbiology; Beijing 100193, PR China.
authors.forename: Xin Hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Sui
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México D. F. 11340, Mexico. Electronic address: entaowang@yahoo.com.mx.
authors.forename: En Tao
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Agro-Biotechnology; College of Biological Sciences and Rhizobium Research Center, China Agricultural University; MOA Key Laboratory of Soil Microbiology; Beijing 100193, PR China.
authors.forename: Wen Xin
authors.initials: WX
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Agro-Biotechnology; College of Biological Sciences and Rhizobium Research Center, China Agricultural University; MOA Key Laboratory of Soil Microbiology; Beijing 100193, PR China. Electronic address: chenwf@cau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Wen Feng
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D020561:Alphaproteobacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012231:Rhizobium / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D053204:Root Nodules, Plant / Q000382:microbiology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013025:Glycine max / Q000382:microbiology*; D013559:Symbiosis
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
keywords: Ensifer shofinae; Genome; Glycine max; Phylogeny; Polyphasic approach