Stable symbiotic nitrogen fixation under water-deficit field conditions by a stress-tolerant alfalfa microsymbiont and its complete genome sequence

AYUB, NICOLÁS; BERINI, CAROLINA ANDREA; STRITZLER, MARGARITA; JOZEFKOWICZ, CINTIA; PÉREZ, PEDRO REYES; PICCINETTI, CARLOS; BRAMBILLA, SILVINA; SOTO, GABRIELA; PUENTE, MARIANA; FRARE, ROMINA; AYUB, NICOLÁS; BERINI, CAROLINA ANDREA; STRITZLER, MARGARITA; JOZEFKOWICZ, CINTIA; PÉREZ, PEDRO REYES; PICCINETTI, CARLOS; BRAMBILLA, SILVINA; SOTO, GABRIELA; PUENTE, MARIANA; FRARE, ROMINA

JOURNAL OF BIOTECHNOLOGY

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Año: 2017 vol. 263 p. 52 - 54

0168-1656

We here characterized the stress-tolerant alfalfa microsymbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti B401. B401-treated plants showed high nitrogen fixation rates under humid and semiarid environments. The production of glycine betaine in isolated bacteroids positively correlated with low precipitation levels, suggesting that this compound acts as a critical osmoprotectant under field conditions. Genome analysis revealed that strain B401 contains alternative pathways for the biosynthesis and uptake of glycine betaine and its precursors. Such genomic information will offer substantial insight into the environmental physiology of this biotechnologically valuable nitrogen-fixing bacterium.