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A diazotrophic, indole-3-acetic acid-producing endophyte from wild cottonwood

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Abstract

An endophytic bacterium, wild poplar strain B (WPB), isolated from stems of wild cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa) was identified to Burkholderia vietnamiensis by analyzing the recA and rDNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis of the nifHDK cluster indicates that the WPB isolate shares high sequence similarity with known B. vietnamiensis strains. The nitrogenase activity of WPB was determined by a 15N2 incorporation assay and an acetylene reduction assay. WPB was also monitored for production of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), a phytohormone which can promote plant growth, when incubated with l-tryptophan. In addition, its plant growth promotion capacity was assessed by inoculating the WPB strain onto Kentucky bluegrass in nitrogen-free medium. Compared to uninoculated control plants, the plants inoculated with WPB gained more dry weight (42%, p = 0.01) and more nitrogen content (37%, p = 0.04) in 50 days.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr. Rusty Rodriguez who provided a plant growing room for the grass experiment. This research was not funded by grants, but was financially supported by the College of Forest Resources at the University of Washington.

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Author notes

  1. Gang Xin

    Present address: Hydranautics, 401 Jones Road, Oceanside, CA, 92058, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, 98195, USA

    Gang Xin

  2. College of Forest Resources, University of Washington, Seattle, 98195, USA

    Gengyun Zhang, Jun Won Kang & Sharon L. Doty

  3. Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, 98195, USA

    James T. Staley

Authors
  1. Gang Xin
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  2. Gengyun Zhang
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  3. Jun Won Kang
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  4. James T. Staley
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  5. Sharon L. Doty
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Correspondence to Sharon L. Doty.

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Xin, G., Zhang, G., Kang, J.W. et al. A diazotrophic, indole-3-acetic acid-producing endophyte from wild cottonwood. Biol Fertil Soils 45, 669–674 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-009-0377-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-009-0377-8

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