Legume-rhizobium symbiotic promiscuity and effectiveness do not affect plant invasiveness.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

The ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen is thought to play an important role in the invasion success of legumes. Interactions between legumes and nitrogen-fixing bacteria (rhizobia) span a continuum of specialization, and promiscuous legumes are thought to have higher chances of forming effective symbioses in novel ranges. Using Australian Acacia species in South Africa, it was hypothesized that widespread and highly invasive species will be more generalist in their rhizobial symbiotic requirements and more effective in fixing atmospheric nitrogen compared with localized and less invasive species.

Methods

To test these hypotheses, eight localized and 11 widespread acacias were examined using next-generation sequencing data for the nodulation gene, nodC ,

SUBMITTER: Keet JH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5604570 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature