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Effect of transgenic alfalfa plants with introduced gene for Alfalfa Mosaic Virus coat protein on rhizosphere microbial community composition and physiological profile

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of transgenic alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) plants, in comparison to their non-transgenic counterpart, on the density and physiological profiles of aerobic bacteria in the rhizosphere. Plants of transgenic alfalfa expressing the AMVcp-s gene coding for Alfalfa Mosaic Virus coat protein were cultivated in a climatic chamber. Two methods were used to determine the microbial diversity in rhizospheres of transgenic plants. First, the cultivation-dependent plating method, based on the determination of the density of colony-forming bacteria, and second, a biochemical method using the Biolog™ system, based on the utilization of different carbon sources by soil microorganisms. Statistically significant differences in densities of rhizospheric bacteria between transgenic and non-transgenic alfalfa clones were observed in ammonifying bacteria (GTL4/404-1), cellulolytic bacteria (GTL4/404-1, GTL4/402-2, A5-3-3), rhizobial bacteria (GTL4/402-2), denitrifying bacteria (A5-3-3) and Azotobacter spp. (GTL4/402-2). The highest values of substrate utilization by microbial communities and average respiration of C-sources were determined in non-transgenic alfalfa plants of the isogenic line SE/22-GT2. Carbohydrates, carboxylic acids and amino-acids were the most utilized carbon substrates by both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Both, the community metabolic diversity and the utilization of C-sources increased in all alfalfa lines with culture time and regardless of transgenic or non-transgenic nature of lines.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Plant Production Research Centre, Research Institute of Plant Production, Bratislavská cesta 122, SK-92168, Piešťany, Slovakia

    Natália Faragová

  2. Department of Plant Protection, Slovak University of Agriculture, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, SK-94976, Nitra, Slovakia

    Katarína Gottwaldová

  3. Department of Biotechnology, University of SS. Cyril and Methodius, Faculty of Natural Sciences, J. Herdu 2, SK-91701, Trnava, Slovakia

    Juraj Faragó

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  1. Natália Faragová
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Correspondence to Juraj Faragó.

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Faragová, N., Gottwaldová, K. & Faragó, J. Effect of transgenic alfalfa plants with introduced gene for Alfalfa Mosaic Virus coat protein on rhizosphere microbial community composition and physiological profile. Biologia 66, 768–777 (2011). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-011-0082-6

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