Purple corn-associated rhizobacteria with potential for plant growth promotion.

AIMS: Purple corn (Zea mays var. purple amylaceum) is a native variety of the Peruvian Andes, cultivated at 3000 m since the pre-Inca times without N fertilization. We aimed to isolate and identify native plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) for future microbial-based inoculants. METHODS AND RESULTS: Eighteen strains were isolated from the rhizosphere of purple corn plants grown without N fertilization in Ayacucho (Peru). The 16S rRNA gene clustered the 18 strains into nine groups that contained species of Bacillus, Stenotrophomonas, Achromobacter, Paenibacillus, Pseudomonas and Lysinibacillus. A representative strain from each group was selected and assayed for N2 fixation, phosphate solubilization, indole acetic and siderophore production, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase activity and biocontrol abilities. Inoculation of purple corn plants with single and combined strains selected after a principal component analysis caused significant increases in root and shoot dry weight, total C and N contents of the plants. CONCLUSIONS: PGPRs can support growth and crop production of purple corn in the Peruvian Andes and constitute the base for microbial-based inoculants. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study enlarges our knowledge on plant-microbial interactions in high altitude mountains and provides new applications for PGPR inoculation in purple amylaceum corn, which is part of the staple diet for the native Quechua communities.

[Utilization of nitrate by bacteroids and cytosol of nodules formed by Rhizobium leguminosarum]. / Utilización de nitrato por bacteroides y citosol de nódulos formados por Rhizobium leguminosarum.

Nitrite production by nodules and roots of pea plants (Pisum sativum L., cultivar Alaska) inoculated with Rhizobium leguminosarum strain 3855 has been studied. Nitrate reductase (NR) activity and nitrite reductase (NiR) activity of the bacteroidal and cytosolic fractions of the nodules were also determined, as well as the nitrite content of the nodules cytosol. Nitrite production by nodules and roots from plants treated with 5 mM KNO3 was higher than that of nodules and roots from plants not treated with nitrate, and regardless of the nitrate treatment, nitrite production increased with the incubation period. The presence of nitrate, propanol or both compounds in the incubation mixtures significantly increased the nitrite production by nodules and roots. Nitrite reductase activity was detected in fresh by isolated bacteroids of R. leguminosarum strain 3855, although the presence of nitrate reductase activity could not be detected both in bacteroids of nodules isolated from plants treated or not with 5 mM KNO3. After isolation, when bacteroids were incubated in a mixture with nitrate, nitrate reductase activity developed after incubation for 12 h. Consequently, there was an increase in nitrite reductase activity, which resulted in the disappearance of the nitrite previously accumulated in the incubation medium. Nitrate utilization by bacteroids was not detected until 5 h from the beginning of the incubation period. Since the presence of chloramphenicol or rifampicin in the incubation medium prevented the development of the nitrate reductase activity, such activity was induced in bacteroids. Nitrite content and nitrate reductase and nitrite reductase activities of the cytosol from nodules of pea plants treated or not with 5 mM KNO3 varied with the buffer used for nodules homogenization. However, no nitrite was found when nodules were homogenized with ethanol, what indicates that nitrite accumulation in the cytosol occurs during the homogenization process of the nodules.

[Nitrogenase, hydrogenase and nitrate reductase activities, oxygen consumption, and ATP content in nodules formed by strains of Rhizobium leguminosarum 128C53 and 300 in symbiosis with pea plants]. / Estudio de las actividades nitrogenasa, hidrogenasa y nitrato reductasa, consumo de oxígeno y contenido en ATP de los nódulos formados por las razas de Rhizobium leguminosarum 128C53 y 300 en simbiosis con guisante.

The nitrogenase activity, nitrate reductase activity and oxygen uptake as well as the hydrogen incorporation and ATP content were examined in the root nodules and bacteroids, respectively, formed by Rhizobium leguminosarum strains 128C53 (hydrogenase positive) and 300 (hydrogenase negative) in symbiosis with Pisum sativum plants grown in the presence of 2 mM KNO3. The strain 128C53 showed the greatest values for all parameters analyzed, except for the nitrate reductase activity, which was higher for the strain 300. Similarly, nodule nitrate reductase activity in strain 300 was greater than that in strain 128C53 when plants grew in the absence of combined nitrogen. In general, the highest values were obtained when determinations were made after 7 hours of plant illumination. However, the hydrogenase activity of strain 128C53 and the nitrate reductase activities of both strains increased with the light period, reaching a maximum after 14 hours of illumination. These results suggest that the benefits derived from the superior symbiotic properties and from the presence of hydrogenase activity in strain 128C53 could be counteracted by the higher rates of the nodule nitrate reductase activity in strain 300.