Genetics and molecular biology of Azospirillum

Abstract

 Genetic manipulation of Azospirillum spp. has facilitated a better understanding of the mode of action of this plant-growth promoting bacterium and should help to improve its ability to stimulate plant growth and development. This review considers and discusses Agospirillum plasmids, promoter sequences, the isolation of Azospirillum mutants, the genetic transformation of Azospirillum, the transfer of foreign genes into Azospirillum by conjugation and the Azospirillum genes that have been isolated and characterized. The Azospirillum genes that are discussed include genes involved in nitrogen fixation, plant root attachment, phytohormone biosynthesis, tryptophan biosynthesis, carbon metabolism and a few other less well characterized processes.