Evolution of diverse effective N₂-fixing microsymbionts of Cicer arietinum following horizontal transfer of the Mesorhizobium ciceri CC1192 symbiosis integrative and conjugative element.

ABSTRACT: Rhizobia are soil bacteria capable of forming N₂-fixing symbioses with legumes, with highly effective strains often selected in agriculture as inoculants to maximize symbiotic N₂ fixation. When rhizobia in the genus Mesorhizobium have been introduced with exotic legumes into farming systems, horizontal transfer of symbiosis Integrative and Conjugative Elements (ICEs) from the inoculant strain to soil bacteria has resulted in the evolution of ineffective N₂-fixing rhizobia that are competitive for nodulation with the target legume. In Australia, Cicer arietinum (chickpea) has been inoculated since the 1970's with Mesorhizobium ciceri sv. ciceri CC1192, a highly effective strain from Israel. Although the full genome sequence of thi

SUBMITTER: Hill Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8090884 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature