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Diversity and expression of nitrogenase genes ( nifH ) from ectomycorrhizas of Corsican pine ( Pinus nigra )
Author(s) -
Izumi Hironari,
Anderson Ian C.,
Alexander Ian J.,
Killham Ken,
Moore Edward R. B.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
environmental microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.954
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1462-2920
pISSN - 1462-2912
DOI - 10.1111/j.1462-2920.2006.01104.x
Subject(s) - biology , nitrogenase , gene , botany , bacteria , corsican , gymnosperm , microbiology and biotechnology , nitrogen fixation , genetics , linguistics , philosophy
Summary The diversity of bacterial nitrogenase genes ( nifH ) and their mRNA transcription in ectomycorrhizas of Corsican pine ( Pinus nigra ) were examined. DNA and RNA were extracted from surface‐sterilized and non‐sterilized Corsican pine roots colonized by the ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi, Suillus variegatus and Tomentellopsis submollis . DNA‐derived nifH polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products were obtained from all samples, but only a few reverse transcription PCRs for nifH mRNA were successful, suggesting that nitrogenase genes were not always transcribed. Several different nifH sequences were detected and the bacteria actively transcribing nifH were different from those whose genes were detected through DNA‐based PCR. Putative nitrogenase amino acid sequences revealed that more than half of the nifH products were derived from methylotrophic bacteria, such as Methylocella spp. The next most frequent sequence types were similar to those from Burkholderia .