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Distribution of Frankia genotypes occupying Alnus nepalensis nodules with respect to altitude and soil characteristics in the Sikkim Himalayas
Author(s) -
Khan Anindita,
Myrold David D.,
Misra Arvind K.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
physiologia plantarum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.351
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1399-3054
pISSN - 0031-9317
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-3054.2006.00872.x
Subject(s) - frankia , biology , ribosomal dna , ribosomal rna , altitude (triangle) , rhizosphere , botany , internal transcribed spacer , 16s ribosomal rna , root nodule , nitrogen fixation , phylogenetics , gene , genetics , bacteria , geometry , mathematics
We investigated the distribution of Frankia genotypes with respect to three altitudinal zones in the Sikkim Himalayas. The study was carried out for 90 Alnus nepalensis trees at nine different locations from three altitudes from the east and north districts of Sikkim, India. We used a PCR‐based technique to amplify the internally transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the rrn operon using two primers specific for the distal part of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA), ITS and proximal part of 23S rRNA genes of Frankia . The PCR products were digested with the restriction enzyme Rsa I to generate amplified recombinant DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) patterns. Frankia genotypes were categorized on the basis of 17 different ARDRA patterns. Nucleotide sequences of some representative amplicons were also obtained. Rhizosphere soil samples associated with the 90 trees were collected and analysed for eight different soil properties. In general, soil properties did not differ by site or altitude, and did not correlate with Frankia genotypes. Frankia community composition was strongly affected by altitude and to a lesser extent by site.