Communities of endophytic bacteria from Cereus peruvianus Mill. (Cactaceae) plants obtained from seeds and from in vitro-regenerated somaclone

Abstract

Bioprospecting of endophytic microorganisms has been considered a promising resource for obtaining new biomolecules with biotechnological applications. Since few studies are available on the diversity of endophytic bacteria associated with species of the Cactaceae family, current analysis isolates and characterizes the communities of endophytic bacteria associated with the species of C. peruvianus grown in vivo obtained from seed and with somaclone of the same species regenerated in vitro to prospect for their plant-growth promoting activity. Isolation of endophytic bacteria from plants obtained from seeds and from regenerated somaclone in vitro identified nine species of endophytic bacteria (Moraxela osloensis, Corynebacterium mycetoides, Micrococcus luteus, Kocuria palustris, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus cohnii, Pseudomonas stuzeri, Bacillus licheniformis and Microbacterium sp.) not previously described in cacti, and signalized the somaclones as the most promising source of endophytic bacteria for obtaining new biomolecules with biotechnological applications. Somaclones are indicated as the most promising source of endophytic bacteria due to their high concentration of endophytes per gram identified in fresh somaclone tissue, the identification of the highest proportion endophytic bacteria, a source of IAA, and with the highest capacity of biological nitrogen fixation, and EPS production exclusively by the endophytic bacteria isolated from the in vitro regenerated somaclone.