Root nodule bacteria isolated from South African Lotononis bainesii, L. listii and L. solitudinis are species of Methylobacterium that are unable to utilize methanol
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-18-2009
Journal Title
Archives of Microbiology
ISSN
0302-8933 eISSN: 1432-072X
Keywords
Methylobacterium, Lotononis, Methylotrophy, Root nodule bacteria
Disciplines
Agronomy and Crop Sciences | Plant Biology
Abstract
The South African legumes Lotononis bainesii, L. listii and L. solitudinis are specifically nodulated by highly effective, pink-pigmented bacteria that are most closely related to Methylobacterium nodulans on the basis of 16S rRNA gene homology. Methylobacterium spp. are characterized by their ability to utilize methanol and other C1 compounds, but 11 Lotononis isolates neither grew on methanol as a sole carbon source nor were able to metabolize it. No product was obtained for PCR amplification of mxaF, the gene encoding the large subunit of methanol dehydrogenase. Searches for methylotrophy genes in the sequenced genome of Methylobacterium sp. 4-46, isolated from L. bainesii, indicate that the inability to utilize methanol may be due to the absence of the mxa operon. While methylotrophy appears to contribute to the effectiveness of the Crotalaria/M. nodulans symbiosis, our results indicate that the ability to utilize methanol is not a factor in the Lotononis/Methylobacterium symbiosis.
Recommended Citation
Ardley, J.K., O’Hara, G.W., Reeve, W.G. et al. Root nodule bacteria isolated from South African Lotononis bainesii, L. listii and L. solitudinis are species of Methylobacterium that are unable to utilize methanol. Arch Microbiol 191, 311–318 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-009-0456-0
