Methylobacterium nodulans sp. nov., for a group of aerobic, facultatively methylotrophic, legume root-nodule-forming and nitrogen-fixing bacteria

Abstract

Data on 72 non-pigmented bacterial strains that specifically induce nitrogen-fixing root nodules on the legume species Crotalaria glaucoides, Crotalaria perrottetii and Crotalaria podocarpa are reviewed. By SDS-PAGE analysis of total protein patterns and by 16S rRNA PCR-RFLP, these strains form a homogeneous group that is separate from other legume root-nodule-forming bacteria. The 16S rRNA gene-based phylogeny indicates that these bacteria belong to the genus Methylobacterium. They can grow on C(1) compounds such as methanol, formate and formaldehyde but not methylamine as sole carbon source, and carry an mxaF gene, encoding methanol dehydrogenase, which supports their methylotrophic metabolism. Presence of a nodA nodulation gene, and ability to nodulate plants of Crotalaria species and to fix nitrogen are features that separate the strains currently included in this group from other members of the genus Methylobacterium. The present study includes additional genotypic and phenotypic characterization of this novel Methylobacterium species, i.e. nifH gene sequence, morphology, physiology, enzymic and carbon source assimilation tests and antibiotic resistance. The name Methylobacterium nodulans sp. nov. (type strain, ORS 2060(T)=CNCM I 2342(T)=LMG 21967(T)) is proposed for this group of root-nodule-forming bacteria.

Methylobacterium platani sp. nov., isolated from a leaf of the tree Platanus orientalis

“…Colonies of strain PMB02 T were circular in shape, pink in colour and 0.2-1.5 mm in diameter when grown on TYG agar for at least 2-3 days. Interestingly, colonies of some Methylobacterium species, such as M. jeotgali (Aslam et al, 2007) and M. nodulans (Jourand et al, 2004), are non-pigmented. MSB medium (Stanier et al, 1966) was used for the utilization of sole C 1 sources, such as methanol and formaldehyde.…”

“…The genus Methylobacterium was first described by Patt et al (1976) and at the time of writing consists of the following 24 recognized species (http://www.bacterio.cict.fr/m/methylobacterium. html): Methylobacterium adhaesivum (Gallego et al, 2006), M. aminovorans (Urakami et al, 1993), M. aquaticum (Gallego et al, 2005a), M. chloromethanicum (McDonald et al, 2001), M. dichloromethanicum (Doronina et al, 2000), M. extorquens (Bousfield & Green, 1985), M. fujisawaense (Green et al, 1988), M. hispanicum (Gallego et al, 2005a), M. isbiliense (Gallego et al, 2005c), M. jeotgali (Aslam et al, 2007), M. lusitanum (Doronina et al, 2002), M. mesophilicum , M. nodulans (Jourand et al, 2004), M. organophilum (Patt et al, 1976), M. oryzae (Madhaiyan et al, 2007), M. podarium (Anesti et al, 2004), M. populi (Van Aken et al, 2004), M. radiotolerans , M. rhodesianum (Green et al, 1988), M. rhodinum , M. suomiense (Doronina et al, 2002), M. thiocyanatum (Wood et al, 1998), M. variabile (Gallego et al, 2005b) and M. zatmanii (Green et al, 1988). Here, we provide a detailed taxonomic characterization of a Methylobacterium-like bacterial strain, PMB02 T , which was isolated from a tree leaf.…”

Methylobacterium adhaesivum sp. nov., a methylotrophic bacterium isolated from drinking water

“…It includes strictly aerobic, Gram-negative, rod-shaped, pink-pigmented, facultatively methylotrophic (PPFM) bacteria, which can grow on single carbon compounds such as formate, formaldehyde and methanol as the sole source of carbon and energy, as well as on a wide range of multi-carbon growth substrates (Green, 2001). At the time of writing, the genus comprises 20 recognized species (Patt et al, 1976;Bousfield & Green, 1985;Green et al, 1988;Urakami et al, 1993;Wood et al, 1998;Doronina et al, 2000Doronina et al, , 2002McDonald et al, 2001;Van Aken et al, 2004;Jourand et al, 2004;Gallego et al, 2005a, b, c), with Methylobacterium organophilum as the type species (Patt et al, 1976).…”

“…Cells are motile, (Jourand et al, 2004); 13, Mtb. dichloromethanicum DSM 6343 T (Doronina et al, 2000).…”

Methylobacterium phyllosphaerae sp. nov., a pink-pigmented, facultative methylotroph from the phyllosphere of rice

“…Species/strains: 1, strain CBMB27 T (M. phyllosphaerae sp. nov.); 2, M. oryzae (Madhaiyan et al, 2007c); 3, M. fujisawaense (Kouno & Ozaki, 1975); 4, M. mesophilicum (Austin & Goodfellow, 1979); 5, M. radiotolerans (Ito & Iizuka, 1971); 6, M. extorquens (Urakami & Komagata, 1984); 7, M. adhaesivum (Gallego et al, 2006); 8, M. suomiense (Doronina et al, 2002); 9, M. organophilum (Patt et al, 1976); 10, M. rhodesianum (Rock et al, 1976); 11, M. zatmanii (Rock et al, 1976); 12, M. rhodinum (Heumann, 1962); 13, M. nodulans (Jourand et al, 2004) (Sasser, 1990). The G+C content of genomic DNA was determined by HPLC analysis of individual nucleosides using a reversed-phase column (Supelcosil LC-18-S; Supelco) as described by Mesbah et al (1989).…”