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

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

JOURNAL OF BIOTECHNOLOGY

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2017

0168-1656

We here characterized the stress-tolerant alfalfa microsymbiontSinorhizobium meliloti B401. B401-treated plants showed high nitrogenfixation rates under humid and semiarid environments. The production ofglycine betaine in isolated bacteroids positively correlated with lowprecipitation levels, suggesting that this compound acts as a criticalosmoprotectant under field conditions. Genome analysis revealed thatstrain B401 contains alternative pathways for the biosynthesis and uptakeof glycine betaine and its precursors. Such genomic information willoffer substantial insight into the environmental physiology of thisbiotechnologically valuable nitrogen-fixing bacterium.