International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, Vol 51, 157-168, Copyright © 2001 by Society for General Microbiology

Herbaspirillum frisingense sp. nov., a new nitrogen-fixing bacterial species that occurs in C4-fibre plants

G Kirchhof, B Eckert, M Stoffels, JI Baldani, VM Reis and A Hartmann
GSF-National Research Center for Environment and Health, Institute of Soil Ecology, Ingolstadter Landstr. 1, D-85758 Neuherberg, Germany

The enrichment of nitrogen-fixing bacteria from the C4-fibre plants, Spartina pectinata, Miscanthus sinensis, Miscanthus sacchariflorus and Pennisetum purpureum, with nitrogen-free semi-solid media led to the isolation of Herbaspirillum-like strains among other diazotrophic bacteria. On the basis of physiological properties, phylogenetic analysis comparing 16S rDNA sequences and DNA--DNA hybridization experiments of chromosomal DNA the new isolates could be grouped together in a new species with the proposed name Herbaspirillum frisingense sp. nov. Morphological characteristics, such as cell size and shape, colony appearance, motility and flagellation are largely identical to the known species Herbaspirillum rubrisubalbicans and Herbaspirillum seropedicae. On the basis of utilization of adipate (-), N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (+), meso-erythritol (-), L-rhamnose (-) and meso-inositol (-) Herbaspirillum frisingense sp. nov. can be distinguished from other known Herbaspirillum spp. Nitrogen-fixing capability was examined by PCR amplification of the nifD gene and an acetylene reduction assay, and was found with all isolates tested. 16S rDNA sequence similarity to the other Herbaspirillum spp. is 98.5--99.1%. In genomic DNA--DNA hybridization experiments Herbaspirillum frisingense sp. nov. forms a homogeneous group with 70--100 +/- 10% similarity, clearly distinct from Herbaspirillum seropedicae and Herbaspirillum rubrisubalbicans with 1--34% similarity. 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes, specific for the whole genus Herbaspirillum and for three Herbaspirillum species were designed and are suitable for fluorescence in situ hybridization. The DNA G+C content of Herbaspirillum frisingense sp. nov. is 63 +/- 2 mol%, in agreement with the values of 61--65% for the genus. PCR fingerprinting exhibits a consistent pattern for groups of strains isolated from the same plant, suggesting a low genomic diversity among bacteria inhabiting C4-gramineous plant tissues. Low genetic DNA diversity seems to be common between probable endophytic bacterial isolates of the same taxon. The type strain of Herbaspirillum frisingense sp. nov. is GSF30(T) (=DSM 13128(T)).

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