The Influence of the Host Plant Is the Major Ecological Determinant of the Presence of Nitrogen-Fixing Root Nodule Symbiont Cluster II Frankia Species in Soil.

ABSTRACT: The actinobacterial genus Frankia establishes nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbioses with specific hosts within the nitrogen-fixing plant clade. Of four genetically distinct subgroups of Frankia, cluster I, II, and III strains are capable of forming effective nitrogen-fixing symbiotic associations, while cluster IV strains generally do not. Cluster II Frankia strains have rarely been detected in soil devoid of host plants, unlike cluster I or III strains, suggesting a stronger association with their host. To investigate the degree of host influence, we characterized the cluster II Frankia strain distribution in rhizosphere soil in three locations in northern California. The presence/absence of cluster II Frankia strains at a given site correlated significantly with the presence/absence of h

SUBMITTER: Battenberg K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5165119 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature