Culturable endophytic bacteria associated with medicinal plant Ferula songorica: molecular phylogeny, distribution and screening for industrially important traits.
Xinjiang, a region of high salinity and drought, is a host to many arid and semi-arid plants. Many of these plants including Ferula spp. have indigenous pharmaceutical histories. As many of the medicinal properties of plants are in tandem with the associated microorganisms residing within the plant tissues, it is advisable to explore the endophytic potential of such plants. In the present study, diversity of culturable bacteria isolated from medicinal plants Ferula songorica collected from Hebukesaier, Xinjiang were analyzed. A total of 170 endophytic bacteria belonging to three phyla, 15 orders, 20 families and 27 genera were isolated and characterized by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The phylum Actinobacteria constitutes a major portion of the endophytic microbes isolated from the plant Ferula songorica (107 isolates). Overall endophytic species richness of the sample was 58 taxa while the sample has statistical values of 4.02, 0.97, 0.65 and 16.55 with Shannon's, Simpson, Species evenness and Margalef, respectively. Root tissues were found to be more suitable host for endophytes as compared to leaf and stem tissues. Among these endophytic strains, 88 % can grow on nitrogen-free media, 19 % solubilize phosphate, while 26 and 40 % are positive for production of protease and cellulase, respectively. The results confirm that the medicinal plant Ferula songorica represents an extremely rich reservoir for the isolation of diverged bacteria with potential for growth promoting factors and biologically active compounds including enzymes.
Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Land, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urümqi, 830011, Xinjiang, People's Republic of China.|State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, People's Republic of China.|University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 10049, People's Republic of China.
Yong-Hong
YH
Liu
Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Land, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urümqi, 830011, Xinjiang, People's Republic of China.|Key Laboratory of Crops with High Quality and Efficient Cultivation and Security Control, Yunnan Higher Education Institutions, Honghe University, Mengzi, 661100, People's Republic of China.
Jian-Wei
JW
Guo
State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, People's Republic of China.
Nimaichand
N
Salam
Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Land, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urümqi, 830011, Xinjiang, People's Republic of China.
Li
L
Li
Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Land, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urümqi, 830011, Xinjiang, People's Republic of China.
Yong-Guang
YG
Zhang
Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Land, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urümqi, 830011, Xinjiang, People's Republic of China.|University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 10049, People's Republic of China.
Jian
J
Han
Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Land, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urümqi, 830011, Xinjiang, People's Republic of China.|Environmental Science Department, Institute for Post Graduate of Environment Study, Arish University, Arish, 45511, Egypt.
Osama Abdalla
OA
Mohamad
Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Land, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urümqi, 830011, Xinjiang, People's Republic of China. liwenjun3@mail.sysu.edu.cn.|State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, People's Republic of China. liwenjun3@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
Wen-Jun
WJ
Li
Diversity; Endophytes; Enzyme; Ferula songorica; Growth promotion