Abstract
Diazotrophic Klebsiella oxytoca VN 13 was able to lyse pectate, but the lytic activity of cultures grown on non-selective media was weak, and the enzyme was located mainly inside the cells. A small fraction of the population (10-6 to 10-5) was able to grow in a selective medium with sodium polygalacturonate as sole carbon source, and produced increased amounts of the pectinolytic enzyme pectate lyase. When wheat seeds were inoculated with these bacteria, increased levels of this enzyme correlated with a higher rate of internal colonization of wheat roots and with stimulation of wheat growth resulting in higher biomass. This suggests that colonization occurs via lyzed pectin layers.
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Kovtunovych, G., Lar, O., Kamalova, S. et al. Correlation between pectate lyase activity and ability of diazotrophic Klebsiella oxytoca VN 13 to penetrate into plant tissues. Plant and Soil 215, 1–6 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004790122353
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004790122353