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Abundance and Relative Distribution of Frankia Host Infection Groups Under Actinorhizal Alnus glutinosa and Non-actinorhizal Betula nigra Trees

  • Soil Microbiology
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Abstract

Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to assess the abundance and relative distribution of host infection groups of the root-nodule forming, nitrogen-fixing actinomycete Frankia in four soils with similar physicochemical characteristics, two of which were vegetated with a host plant, Alnus glutinosa, and two with a non-host plant, Betula nigra. Analyses of DAPI-stained cells at three locations, i.e., at a distance of less than 1 m (near stem), 2.5 m (middle crown), and 3–5 m (crown edge) from the stems of both tree species revealed no statistically significant differences in abundance. Frankiae generally accounted for 0.01 to 0.04 % of these cells, with values between 4 and 36 × 105 cells (g soil)−1. In three out of four soils, abundance of frankiae was significantly higher at locations “near stem” and/or “middle crown” compared to “crown edge,” while numbers at these locations were not different in the fourth soil. Frankiae of the Alnus host infection group were dominant in all samples accounting for about 75 % and more of the cells, with no obvious differences with distance to stem. In three of the soils, all of these cells were represented by strain Ag45/Mut15. In the fourth soil that was vegetated with older A. glutinosa trees, about half of these cells belonged to a different subgroup represented by strain ArI3. In all soils, the remaining cells belonged to the Elaeagnus host infection group represented by strain EAN1pec. Casuarina-infective frankiae were not found. Abundance and relative distribution of Frankia host infection groups were similar in soils under the host plant A. glutinosa and the non-host plant B. nigra. Results did thus not reveal any specific effects of plant species on soil Frankia populations.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are indebted to the Office of Sponsored Programs (Research Enhancement Program Grant No. 9000000647), the Graduate College (Doctoral Research Support Fellowship to S. Samant), and the Department of Biology at Texas State University for the financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Texas State University, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA

    Suvidha Samant & Dittmar Hahn

  2. College of Agriculture, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, People’s Republic of China

    Tian Huo

  3. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1201 South Dorner Drive, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA

    Tian Huo & Jeffrey O. Dawson

Authors
  1. Suvidha Samant
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  2. Tian Huo
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  3. Jeffrey O. Dawson
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  4. Dittmar Hahn
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Correspondence to Dittmar Hahn.

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Samant, S., Huo, T., Dawson, J.O. et al. Abundance and Relative Distribution of Frankia Host Infection Groups Under Actinorhizal Alnus glutinosa and Non-actinorhizal Betula nigra Trees. Microb Ecol 71, 473–481 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-015-0643-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-015-0643-2

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