The genetic diversity of microsymbionts from Thermopsis lanceolata growing in Mongolia

Abstract

For the first time, bacteria were isolated and identified from the root nodules of a wild-growing medicinal legume plant Thermopsis lanceolata, originated from Mongolia. The taxonomic position of 14 isolates obtained was determined using of sequencing of the 16S rRNA (rrs) and atpD genes. It was shown a significant biodiversity of the isolates from T. lanceolata, which belonged to three genera of the order Rhizobiales: Phyllobacterium (family Phyllobacteriaceae), Rhizobium (family Rhizobiaceae) and Bosea (family Bradyrhizobiaceae). Six isolates belonged to the species Phyllobacterium zundukense and Phyllobacterium trifolii (100 и 99,9% rrs similarity with the type strains P. zundukense Tri-48T and P. trifolii PETP02T, respectivelly), three isolates were identified as Rhizobium anhuiense (99,8% rrs similarity with the type strain R. anhuiense CCBAU 23252T). Two slow-growing isolates of the genus Bosea Tla-534 and Tla-545 may potentially belong to new species, since their rrs-similarity to the closest type strains B. massiliensis LMG 26221T, B. lathyri LMG 26379T and B. vaviloviae Vaf18T was 98,5-99,0%. Non-rhizobial strains were not isolated. The isolation and future investigation of the rhizobial microsymbionts of the valuable medicinal legume Thermopsis lanceolata is one of the necessary prerequisites for its industrial cultivation.