Abstract
With an autotrophic, N-free medium, Xanthobacter populations were isolated from the roots of wetland rice grown under field conditions. Xanthobacter populations ranged from 3.2×104 to 5.1×105 colony-forming units (cfu) g-1 of root and averaged 47-fold higher on the root or rhizoplane than in the neighbouring nonrhizosphere. Characterization studies indicated dissimilarities in carbon utilization and motility among the isolated Xanthobacter strains and other recognized Xanthobacter species. Under gnotobiotic conditions, the population of one isolate, Xanthobacter sp. JW-KR1, increased from 105 to 107 cfu plant-1 1 d after inoculation when a rice plant was present, but declined to numbers below the limit of detection (<104 cfu assembly-1) after 3 d in the absence of a plant. Scanning electron microscopy revealed Xanthobacter as pleomorphic forms on the rhizoplane. To assess the effect of Xanthobacter on plant growth, rice plants were grown under greenhouse conditions in plant assemblies containing sand and half-strength Hoagland's nutrient solution with and without nitrogen. Plants were either inoculated with 105 cfu Xanthobacter g-1 of sand or left uninoculated. After 40 d, plants without nitrogen showed no significant differences in top or root dry weight, plant height, root length, or number of tillers or leaves, whether the plants were inoculated or uninoculated. However, when nitrogen was added, inoculated plants had a significantly larger top dry weight (15%) and number of leaves (19%) than uninoculated plants. Under conditions of added and no added nitrogen, acetylene reduction assays showed Xanthobacter sp. JW-KR1 produced <0.1 (below detection limit) and 7 nmol C2H4 plant-1 h-1, respectively. Under the conditions studied, the results suggest that both Xanthobacter and wetland rice derive some benefits from their association.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aragno M, Walther-Mauruschat A, Mayer F and Schlegel H G 1977 Micromorphology of gram-negative hydrogen bacteria. I. Cell morphology and flagellation. Arch. Microbiol. 114, 93–110.
Bally R, Thomas-Bauzon D, Heulin T, Balandreau J, Richard C and De Ley J 1983 Determination of the most frequent N2-fixing bacteria in a rice rhizosphere. Can. J. Microbiol. 29, 881–887.
Barraquio W L, Ladha J K and Watanabe I 1983 Isolation and identification of N2-fixing Pseudomonas associated with wetland rice. Can. J. Microbiol. 29, 867–873.
Bouton J H, Sumner M E and Giddens J E 1981 Alfalfa, Medicago sativa L., in highly weathered, acid soils. II. Yield and acetylene reduction of a plant germplasm and Rhizobium meliloti inoculum selected for tolerance to acid soil. Plant and Soil 60, 205–211.
De Bont J A M and Leijten M W M 1976 Nitrogen fixation by hydrogen utilizing bacteria. Arch. Microbiol. 107, 235–240.
Gogotov J V and Schlegel H G 1974 N2-fixation by chemoautotrophic hydrogen bacteria. Arch. Mikrobiol. 97, 359–362.
Jenni B and Aragno M 1987 Xanthobacter agilis sp. nov., a motile, dinitrogen-fixing, hydrogen-oxidizing bacterium. System. Appl. Microbiol. 9, 254–257.
Kalininskaya T A, Kravchenko I K and Miller Y M 1989 Assimilation of nitrogen fixed by soil diazotrophs by rice plants. In Interrelationships Between Microorganisms and Plants in Soil. Eds. V Vančura and F Kunc. pp 269–271. Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, Prague.
Lidstrom-O'Connor M E, Fulton G L and Wopat A E 1983 Methylobacterium ethanolicus: A syntrophic association of two methyltrophic bacteria. J. Gen. Microbiol. 129, 3139–3148.
Lindberg T and Granhall U 1984 Isolation and characterization of dinitrogen-fixing bacteria from the rhizosphere of temperate cereals and forage grasses. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 48, 683–689.
Martin P, Glatzle A, Kolb W, Omay H and Schmidt W 1989 N2-fixing bacteria in the rhizosphere: Quantification and hormonal effects on root development. Z. Pflanzenernaehr. Bodenkd. 52, 237–245.
McClung C R, van Berkum P, Davis R E and Sioger C 1983. Enumeration and localization of N2-fixing bacteria associated with roots of Spartina alterniflora Loisel. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 45, 1914–1920.
Nandi A S and Sen S P 1981 Utility of some nitrogen-fixing microorganisms in the phyllosphere of crop plants. Plant and Soil 63, 465–476.
Oyaizu-Masuchi Y and Komagata K 1988 Isolation of free living nitrogen-fixing bacteria from the rhizosphere of rice. Gen. Appl. Microbiol. 34, 127–164.
Parducz B 1967 Ciliary movement and coordination in ciliates. Int. Rev. Cytol. 21, 91–128.
Pederson W L, Chakrabatry K, Klucas R V and Vidaver A K 1978 Nitrogen fixation (acetylene reduction) associated with roots of winter wheat and sorghum in Nebraska. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 35, 129–135.
Shawky B T 1989 Studies on the occurrence of asymbiotic nitrogen-fixing Azospirillum species in the soils and rhizosphere of some plants in Egypt. Zentralbl. Microbiol. 144, 581–594.
Thomas-Bauzon D, Weinhard P, Vellecourt P and Balandreau J 1982 The spermosphere model. I. Its use in growing, counting, and isolating N2-fixing bacteria from the rhizosphere of rice. Can. J. Microbiol. 28, 922–928.
Umali-Garcia M, Hubbell D H, Gaskins M H and Dazzo F B 1980 Association of Azospirillum with grass roots. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 39, 219–226.
Watanabe I, Barraquio W L and Daroy M L 1982 Predominance of hydrogen-utilizing bacteria among N2-fixing bacteria in wetland rice roots. Can. J. Microbiol. 28, 1051–1054.
Wetter L R and Constabel F 1982 Plant Tissue Culture Methods, 2nd ed. Natl. Res. Conc. of Canada, Saskatoon.
White G F, Dodgson K S, Davies I, Matts P J, Shapleigh J P and Payne W J 1987 Bacterial utilisation of short-chain primary alkyl suphate esters. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 40, 173–177.
Wiegel J and Mayer F 1978 Isolation of lipopolysaccharides and the effect of polymyxin B on the outer membrane of Corynebacterium autotrophicum. Arch. Microbiol. 118, 67–69.
Wiegel J and Schlegel H G 1976 Enrichment and isolation of nitrogen-fixing hydrogen bacteria. Arch. Microbiol. 107, 139–142.
Wiegel J K W and Schlegel H G 1984 Genus Xanthobacter Wiegel, Wilke, Baumgarten, Opitz and Schlegel 1978, 573.AL pp 325–333. In Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, Vol. 1. Eds. N R Krieg and J G Hott. The Williams and Wilkins Co., Baltimore, MD.
Yeung K-H A, Schell M A and Hartel P G 1989 Growth of genetically engineered Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas putida in soil and rhizsophere. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 55, 3243–3246.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Reding, H.K., Hartel, P.G. & Wiegel, J. Effect of Xanthobacter, isolated and characterized from rice roots, on growth of wetland rice. Plant Soil 138, 221–229 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00012249
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00012249