Unique community structure and biogeography of soybean rhizobia in the saline-alkaline soils of Xinjiang, China

• Published in: Plant and soil Vol. 324; no. 1-2; pp. 291 - 305
• Main Authors: Han, Li Li, Wang, En Tao, Han, Tian Xu, Liu, Jie, Sui, Xin Hua, Chen, Wen Feng, Chen, Wen Xin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands 01.11.2009; Springer; Springer Netherlands; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Alkaline soils; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biogeography; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Bradyrhizobium; Community composition; Community structure; Ecology; Environmental factors; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Genes; Life Sciences; Nodules; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; Regular Article; Rhizobium; rRNA genes; Saline soils; Sinorhizobium; Slope stability; Soil science; Soil Science & Conservation; Soil sciences; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; Soybeans; Symbiosis; Central Asia; Asia; Symbiosis; Biogeography; Rhizobia; Phylogeny; Soybean; Xinjiang; Biological evolution; Environmental factor; Temperate zone; Saline soil; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Bacteria; C3-Type; Community structure; Vegetals; Glycine max; Salinity; Grain legume; Alkaline soil; Leguminosae; Prokaryote; Spermatophyta; Microorganism; Rhizobiaceae; Soil plant relation; Oil plant (vegetal)
• ISSN: 0032-079X; 1573-5036
• DOI: 10.1007/s11104-009-9956-6

To investigate the community composition and biogeography of soybean rhizobia in Xinjiang, a total of 151 strains were investigated with RFLP and phylogenetic analyses of 16S rRNA gene, 16S-23S intergenic spacer, three housekeeping genes (atpD, glnII and recA), and two symbiotic genes (nifH and nodC), as well as cross-nodulation. Two rhizobial species, Bradyrhizobium liaoningense and Sinorhizobium fredii, were found as dominant groups in communities of soybean rhizobia in Xinjiang, whereas three Rhizobium genomic species, B. yuanmingense and B. japonicum, were minor groups. These genomic species showed clear correlations with eco-regions, and their symbiotic genes were identical or very similar to those of the reference strains for the corresponding species. Conclusively, the dominant soybean rhizobia S. fredii and B. liaoningense in Xinjiang might be introduced from other Chinese regions, but they have been selected as the rhizobia adapted to the saline-alkaline soils. The high pH, salinity, and phosphate concentration in soil might be the environmental factors determining the biogeography of these bacteria. It is worth mentioning that a novel Rhizobium species that may have acquired the symbiotic genes from a Bradyrhizobium lineage was identified.