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Association of non-heterocystous cyanobacteria with crop plants

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Abstract

Cyanobacteria have the ability to form associations with organisms from all domains of life, notably with plants, which they provide with fixed nitrogen, among other substances. This study was aimed at developing artificial associations between non-heterocystous cyanobacteria and selected crop plants. We isolated several non-heterocystous cyanobacteria from various rice fields. The cultures were tested for their capacity to produce the plant hormone indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and the possible role of IAA in the association of cyanobacteria with seedling roots was evaluated. Axenic cultures were co-inoculated with 10-day-old plant seedlings of Triticum aestivum, Vigna radiata and Pisum sativum and incubated for 1 week. Cyanobacterial association with the roots of these seedlings was quantified by measuring chlorophyll-a. Cyanobacterial association with the roots was observed by light microscopy as well as by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Based on sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene, the isolates were identified as Synechocystis sp., Chroococcidiopsis sp., Leptolyngbya sp., and Phormidium sp. CLSM observations revealed the intimate association of cyanobacteria with the seedling roots as well as invasion of the roots and root cells. Strains producing IAA were more efficient in the colonization of the roots than those that lacked this ability. IAA-producing cyanobacteria possess a tryptophan-dependent pathway, and these cyanobacteria showed IAA synthesis activity in the presence of roots in media lacking tryptophan. Based on the results of this study, we conclude that non-heterocystous cyanobacteria also have the potential for use in agriculture to improve the growth and yield of crop plants that do not naturally form associations with cyanobacteria.

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Acknowledgments

The Higher Education Commission of Pakistan is acknowledged for providing funding to Mehboob Ahmed (IRSIP No.1-8 ⁄HEC⁄HRD⁄ 2007 ⁄ 923) to visit the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) to perform Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy. We thank Anita Wijnholds for her help with CLSM and Ms. Veronique Confurius-Guns for her assistance and help with PCR and DNA sequencing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of the Punjab, Lahore, 54590, Pakistan

    Mehboob Ahmed & Shahida Hasnain

  2. Department of Marine Microbiology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology—KNAW, PO Box 140, 4400 AC, Yerseke, The Netherlands

    Mehboob Ahmed & Lucas J. Stal

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  1. Mehboob Ahmed
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  2. Lucas J. Stal
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  3. Shahida Hasnain
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Correspondence to Shahida Hasnain.

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Responsible Editor: Katharina Pawlowski.

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Ahmed, M., Stal, L.J. & Hasnain, S. Association of non-heterocystous cyanobacteria with crop plants. Plant Soil 336, 363–375 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-010-0488-x

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