Genetic analysis of functions involved in adhesion of Pseudomonas putida to seeds.

ABSTRACT: Many agricultural uses of bacteria require the establishment of efficient bacterial populations in the rhizosphere, for which colonization of plant seeds often constitutes a critical first step. Pseudomonas putida KT2440 is a strain that colonizes the rhizosphere of a number of agronomically important plants at high population densities. To identify the functions involved in initial seed colonization by P. putida KT2440, we subjected this strain to transposon mutagenesis and screened for mutants defective in attachment to corn seeds. Eight different mutants were isolated and characterized. While all of them showed reduced attachment to seeds, only two had strong defects in their adhesion to abiotic surfaces (glass and different plastics). Sequences of the loci affected in all eight mutants

SUBMITTER: Espinosa-Urgel M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC111295 | biostudies-literature | 2000 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature