Nitrogen-fixing bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in Piptadenia gonoacantha ( Mart. ) Macbr

Abstract The family Leguminosae comprises approximately 20,000 species that mostly form symbioses with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and nitrogen-fixing bacteria (NFB). This study is aimed at investigating and confirming the dependence on nodulation and biological nitrogen fixation in the specie Piptadenia gonoacantha (Mart.) Macbr., which belongs to the Piptadenia group. Two consecutive experiments were performed in a greenhouse. The experiments were fully randomized with six replicates and a factorial scheme. For the treatments, the two AMF species and three NFB strains were combined to nodulate P. gonoacantha in addition to the control treatments. The results indicate this species’ capacity for nodulation without the AMF; however, the AMF + NFB combinations yielded a considerable gain in P. gonoacantha shoot weight compared with the treatments that only included inoculating with bacteria or AMF. The results also confirm that the treatment effects among the AMF + NFB combinations produced different shoot dry weight/root dry weight ratios. We conclude that AMF is not necessary for nodulation and that this dependence improves species development because plant growth increases upon co-inoculation.

Nitrogen-fixing bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in Piptadenia gonoacantha (Mart.) Macbr.

The family Leguminosae comprises approximately 20,000 species that mostly form symbioses with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and nitrogen-fixing bacteria (NFB). This study is aimed at investigating and confirming the dependence on nodulation and biological nitrogen fixation in the specie Piptadenia gonoacantha (Mart.) Macbr., which belongs to the Piptadenia group. Two consecutive experiments were performed in a greenhouse. The experiments were fully randomized with six replicates and a factorial scheme. For the treatments, the two AMF species and three NFB strains were combined to nodulate P. gonoacantha in addition to the control treatments. The results indicate this species' capacity for nodulation without the AMF; however, the AMF+NFB combinations yielded a considerable gain in P. gonoacantha shoot weight compared with the treatments that only included inoculating with bacteria or AMF. The results also confirm that the treatment effects among the AMF+NFB combinations produced different shoot dry weight/root dry weight ratios. We conclude that AMF is not necessary for nodulation and that this dependence improves species development because plant growth increases upon co-inoculation.

Rhizobial characterization in revegetated areas after bauxite mining

Abstract Little is known regarding how the increased diversity of nitrogen-fixing bacteria contributes to the productivity and diversity of plants in complex communities. However, some authors have shown that the presence of a diverse group of nodulating bacteria is required for different plant species to coexist. A better understanding of the plant symbiotic organism diversity role in natural ecosystems can be extremely useful to define recovery strategies of environments that were degraded by human activities. This study used ARDRA, BOX-PCR fingerprinting and sequencing of the 16S rDNA gene to assess the diversity of root nodule nitrogen-fixing bacteria in former bauxite mining areas that were replanted in 1981, 1985, 1993, 1998, 2004 and 2006 and in a native forest. Among the 12 isolates for which the 16S rDNA gene was partially sequenced, eight, three and one isolate(s) presented similarity with sequences of the genera Bradyrhizobium, Rhizobium and Mesorhizobium, respectively. The richness, Shannon and evenness indices were the highest in the area that was replanted the earliest (1981) and the lowest in the area that was replanted most recently (2006).

Assessment of DNA extraction methods for detection of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in plant roots by nested-PCR / Avaliação de métodos de extração de ADN para detecção de fungos micorrízicos arbusculares em raízes de plantas por nested-PCR

DNA extraction methods were evaluated for the yield and purity of DNA recovered from mycorrhized roots and whether the recovered DNA is suitable for amplification of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal SSU rDNA. The DNeasy Plant Mini Kit and three extraction buffers were used alone or in combination with either polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP) and/or activated charcoal (AC). Among the extraction methods tested, those based on the CTAB buffers yielded more DNA than those based on the TE buffer and the DNeasy Plant Mini Kit. Moreover, the use of AC alone or in combination with PVPP reduced DNA yield, while it significantly improved the purity of recovered DNA, whatever the extraction buffer. On the other hand, the success of nested-PCR amplification was negatively correlated with the amount of template DNA and positively correlated with the purity of recovered DNA. Three methods based on the TE buffer, two on the CTAB-ßM buffer and one on the DNeasy Plant Mini Kit produced high-quality DNA in terms of purity and PCR performance. However, the TE buffer-based methods are less time consuming than the CTAB-ßM buffer-based methods, and cheaper than the method based on the DNeasy Plant Mini Kit.

Diferentes métodos de extração de ADN, a partir de amostras de raízes, foram testados e o ADN obtido foi avaliado para a amplificação de genes ribossomais de fungos micorrízicos arbusculares (AM). Três tampões de extração foram utilizados isoladamente ou em combinação com polivinilpirrolidona (PVP), polivinipolipirrolidona (PVPP) e/ou carvão ativado (CA), além do DNeasy Plant Mini Kit. Entre os métodos de extração testados, aqueles com base no tampão CTAB renderam mais ADN do que os baseados no tampão TE e o DNeasy Plant Mini Kit. A utilização de CA ou PVPP nos diferentes tampões reduziram o rendimento de ADN, contudo, melhoraram significativamente a pureza do ADN recuperado, independentemente do tampão de extração. Por outro lado, o sucesso da amplificação por Nested-PCR foi negativamente correlacionado com a quantidade de DNA molde, e positivamente correlacionada com a pureza do ADN. Três métodos baseados no tampão TE, dois no tampão CTAB-ßM e o DNeasy Plant Mini Kit produziram ADN de alta qualidade, em termos de pureza e rendimento da PCR. No entanto, os métodos baseados em tampão TE demandam menos tempo do que os métodos baseados em tampão CTAB-ßM e são mais baratos do que o uso do DNeasy Plant Mini Kit.