Complete Genome Sequence of Pantoea ananatis Strain NN08200, an Endophytic Bacterium Isolated from Sugarcane.

Stain NN08200 was isolated from the surface-sterilized stem of sugarcane grown in Guangxi province of China. The stain was Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, non-spore-forming bacteria. The complete genome SNP-based phylogenetic analysis indicate that NN08200 is a member of the genus Pantoea ananatis. Here, we summarize the features of strain NN08200 and describe its complete genome. The genome contains a chromosome and two plasmids, in total 5,176,640 nucleotides with 54.76% GC content. The chromosome genome contains 4598 protein-coding genes, and 135 ncRNA genes, including 22 rRNA genes, 78 tRNA genes and 35 sRNA genes, the plasmid 1 contains 149 protein-coding genes and the plasmid 2 contains 308 protein-coding genes. We identified 130 tandem repeats, 101 transposon genes, and 16 predicted genomic islands on the chromosome. We found an indole pyruvate decarboxylase encoding gene which involved in the biosynthesis of the plant hormone indole-3-acetic acid, it may explain the reason why NN08200 stain have growth-promoting effects on sugarcane. Considering the pathogenic potential and its versatility of the species of the genus Pantoea, the genome information of the strain NN08200 give us a chance to determine the genetic background of interactions between endophytic enterobacteria and plants.

Characterization of a new pathovar of Agrobacterium vitis causing banana leaf blight in China.

A new banana leaf blight was found in Nanning city, China, during a 7-year survey (2003-2009) of the bacterial diseases on banana plants. Eight bacterial strains were isolated from affected banana leaves, and identified as an intraspecific taxon of Agrobacterium vitis based on their 16S rDNA sequence similarities with those of 37 randomly selected bacterial strains registered in GenBank database. The representative strain Ag-1 was virulent on banana leaves and shared similar growth and biochemical reactions with the reference strain IAM14140 of A. vitis. The strains causing banana leaf blight were denominated as A. vitis pv. musae. The traditional A. vitis strains virulent to grapevines were proposed to be revised as A. vitis pv. vitis. This is the first record of a new type of A. vitis causing banana leaf blight in China.

[Growth-promoting effect of inoculating Klebsiella variicola DX120E on different sugarcane cultivars].

In order to investigate the growth promoting effect of inoculating Klebsiella variicola DX120E, a bacterial strain with high activity of associative nitrogen fixation, on sugarcane, the strain was inoculated through roots into the pathogen free micropropagated seedlings of two sugarcane cultivars B8 and GT21. The bacterial numbers colonized in sugarcane plants, the activities of the key enzymes for nitrogen metabolism, the nitrate concentration and nutrient uptake were analyzed. The results indicated that the DX120E strain could live, propagate and colonize in the roots and aerial parts of sugarcane seedlings. The DX120E inoculation could effectively promote the plant growth and nutrient uptake, significantly improve the nitrate reductase (NR) activities, and increase the glutamine synthetase (GS) activities and nitrate concentration in certain degree in the leaves, compared with the uninoculated seedlings. It was suggested that Klebsiella variicola DX120E possesses a significant growth promoting effect on sugarcane plants which has a great application potential in developing biological nitrogen fixation fertilizer for sugarcane.

Enterobacter sacchari sp. nov., a nitrogen-fixing bacterium associated with sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum L.).

Five nitrogen-fixing bacterial strains (SP1(T), NN143, NN144, NN208 and HX148) were isolated from stem, root or rhizosphere soil of sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum L.) plants. Cells were Gram-negative, motile, rods with peritrichous flagella. DNA G+C content was 55.0 ± 0.5 mol%. Sequence determinations and phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene and rpoB indicated that the strains were affiliated with the genus Enterobacter and most closely related to E. radicincitans DSM 16656(T) and E. oryzae LMG 24251(T). Fluorimetric determination of thermal denaturation temperatures after DNA-DNA hybridization, enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus PCR and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry differentiated the whole-genome, genotype and protein profiles from those of E. radicincitans and E. oryzae. The strains' cell fatty acid composition differentiated them from E. radicincitans and E. oryzae by containing a higher level of summed feature 2 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c) and a lower level of C17 : 0 cyclo. Their physiological and biochemical profiles differentiated them from E. radicincitans by being positive for methyl red test, ornithine decarboxylase and utilization of putrescine, D-arabitol, L-fucose and methyl α-D-glucoside and being negative for arginine dihydrolase, and differentiated them from E. oryzae by being positive for aesculin hydrolysis and utilization of putrescine, D-arabitol and L-rhamnose and being negative for arginine dihydrolase, lysine decarboxylase and utilization of mucate. The five strains therefore represent a novel species, for which the name Enterobacter sacchari sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain SP1(T) ( = CGMCC 1.12102(T) = LMG 26783(T)).

Plant growth-promoting nitrogen-fixing enterobacteria are in association with sugarcane plants growing in Guangxi, China.

The current nitrogen fertilization for sugarcane production in Guangxi, the major sugarcane-producing area in China, is very high. We aim to reduce nitrogen fertilization and improve sugarcane production in Guangxi with the help of indigenous sugarcane-associated nitrogen-fixing bacteria. We initially obtained 196 fast-growing bacterial isolates associated with the main sugarcane cultivar ROC22 plants in fields using a nitrogen-deficient minimal medium and screened out 43 nitrogen-fixing isolates. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that 42 of the 43 nitrogen-fixing isolates were affiliated with the genera Enterobacter and Klebsiella. Most of the nitrogen-fixing enterobacteria possessed two other plant growth-promoting activities of IAA production, siderophore production and phosphate solubilization. Two Enterobacter spp. strains of NN145S and NN143E isolated from rhizosphere soil and surface-sterilized roots, respectively, of the same ROC22 plant were used to inoculate micropropagated sugarcane plantlets. Both strains increased the biomass and nitrogen content of the sugarcane seedlings grown with nitrogen fertilization equivalent to 180 kg urea ha(-1), the recommended nitrogen fertilization for ROC22 cane crops at the seedling stage. (15)N isotope dilution assays demonstrated that biological nitrogen fixation contributed to plant growth promotion. These results suggested that indigenous nitrogen-fixing enterobacteria have the potential to fix N(2) associated with sugarcane plants grown in fields in Guangxi and to improve sugarcane production.

The actinobacterium Microbacterium sp. 16SH accepts pBBR1-based pPROBE vectors, forms biofilms, invades roots, and fixes N2 associated with micropropagated sugarcane plants.

Members of the genus Microbacterium lineage of Gram-positive actinobacteria are increasingly being reported to display significant traits associated with environmental biotechnology and bioengineering. 16SH is a nitrogen-fixing bacterial strain isolated from a surface-sterilized stem of sugarcane grown in Guangxi, China. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that 16SH belonged to the genus Microbacterium. pPROBE-pTet(r) plasmids were constructed by cloning the promoter region of the Tet(r) gene into the promoterless pPROBE-AT, -OT, and -TT vectors derived from the pBBR1 plasmid that has a broad host range of Gram-negative bacteria and sequence similarities to plasmids from Gram-positive bacteria. The pPROBE-pTet(r) plasmids expressed the gfp reporter gene and were stably maintained in 16SH cells without antibiotic selection in free-living state and in planta. Confocal microscopy on intact roots of micropropagated sugarcane plantlets showed that gfp-tagged 16SH cells formed biofilms on root maturation and elongation zones but not on root meristem zones and root caps, and colonized in intercellular spaces of root cortices. Inoculation of 16SH significantly increased biomass and nitrogen content of micropropagated sugarcane seedlings grown with a nitrogen fertilization of 6.3 mg N/kg soil. ¹5N isotope dilution assays demonstrated that biological nitrogen fixation contributed to this plant growth promotion. This study for the first time demonstrated that the pBBR1-based pPROBE plasmids provided an efficient genetic transfer system for a Gram-positive Microbacterium strain, and that a nitrogen-fixing Microbacterium endophyte colonized in intact host plants and fixed N2 associated with the host plants.

[Characterization of a bacterial biocontrol strain 1404 and its efficacy in controlling postharvest citrus anthracnose].

OBJECTIVE: Anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz.) Sacc. is a main disease in citrus production. To develop an effective biocontrol measure against citrus postharvest anthracnose, we screened antagonistic microbes and obtained a bacterial strain 1404 from the rhizospheric soil of chili plants in Nanning city, Guangxi, China. The objectives of the present study were to: (1) identify and characterize the antagonistic bacterium; and (2) to evaluate the efficacy of the antagonistic strain in controlling citrus postharvest anthracnose disease. METHODS: Strain 1404 was identified by comparing its 16S rDNA sequence with related bacteria from GenBank database, as well as analyzing its morphological, physiological and biochemical characters. The antagonistic stability of the strain 1404 was determined by continuously transferring it on artificial media. The effect of the strain on suppressing citrus anthracnose at postharvest stage was tested by stab inoculation method. RESULTS: The 16S rDNA of strain 1404 was amplified with primers PF1 (5'-AGAGTTTGATCATGGCTCAG-3') and PR1 (5'-TACGGTTACCTTGTTACGACTT-3') and its sequence submitted to GenBank (accession number: GU361113). Strain 1404 clustered with the GenBank-derived Brevibacillus brevis strains in the 16S-rDNA-sequence-based phylogenetic tree at 100% bootstrap level. The morphological traits, physiological and biochemical characters of strain 1404 agreed with that of Brevibacillus brevis. Less change in the suppressive ability of antagonist against growth of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides was observed during four continuous transfers on artificial media. The average control efficacy of the strain was 64. 9 % against the disease 20 days after the antagonist application. CONCLUSION: Strain 1404 was identified as Brevibacillus brevis based on its morphological traits, phyiological and biochemical characters as well as 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The antagonist was approved to be a promising biocontrol agent. This is the first report of Brevibacillus brevis as an effective antagonist against citrus postharvest anthracnose disease.