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First report on the occurrence of the uncultivated cluster 2 Frankia microsymbionts in soil outside the native actinorhizal host range area

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Abstract

The occurrence of uncultivated Frankia was evaluated in Tunisian soils by a plant-trapping assay using Coriaria myrtifolia seedlings. Despite the lack of this compatible host plant for more than two centuries, soil-borne Frankia cells were detected in one sampled soil as shown by the development of root nodules on 2-year-old seedlings. Based on glnA sequences, Tunisian trapped Frankia strains belong to the uncultivated cluster 2 strains that associate with other Coriaria species and also with Ceanothus, Datisca and Rosaceae actinorhizal species. This is the first report on the occurrence of Frankia cluster 2 strains in soils from areas lacking compatible host plant groups.

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Acknowledgements

The study was partially supported by funding from the Comité Mixte de Coopération Universitaire, France-Tunisie (grant EGIDE-CMCU no.10G0903), and by the Comité Mixte Permanent Tuniso-Marocain pour la Recherche Scientifique et la Technologie (CMPTM no. 10/MT/14).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire Microorganismes et Biomolécules Actives, Université de Tunis El Manar (FST) et Université de Carthage (INSAT), 2092, Tunis, Tunisia

    Imen Nouioui, Imed Sbissi, Faten Ghodhbane-Gtari & Maher Gtari

  2. Laboratoire de Biotechnologie Microbienne, Faculté des Sciences et Technologies de Fès Université Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah, P. O. Box 2202, Fès, Maroc

    Kawtar Fikri Benbrahim

  3. Ecologie Microbienne, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 5557, Université Lyon I, Université Lyon, Villeurbanne, 69622 cedex, France

    Philippe Normand

Authors
  1. Imen Nouioui
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  2. Imed Sbissi
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  3. Faten Ghodhbane-Gtari
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  4. Kawtar Fikri Benbrahim
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  5. Philippe Normand
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  6. Maher Gtari
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Correspondence to Maher Gtari.

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[Nouioui I, Sbissi I, Ghodhbane-Gtari F, Benbrahim KF, Normand P and Gtari M 2013 First report on the occurrence of the uncultivated cluster 2 Frankia microsymbionts in soil outside the native actinorhizal host range area. J. Biosci. 38 1–4] DOI 10.1007/s12038-013-9366-z

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Nouioui, I., Sbissi, I., Ghodhbane-Gtari, F. et al. First report on the occurrence of the uncultivated cluster 2 Frankia microsymbionts in soil outside the native actinorhizal host range area. J Biosci 38, 695–698 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12038-013-9366-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12038-013-9366-z

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