|
|
||||||||
Note |
1 Istituto per la Protezione delle Piante (Sezione di Torino) del CNR and Dipartimento di Biologia Vegetale dellUniversità di Torino, Viale Mattioli 25, 10125 Torino, Italy
2 Laboratorium voor Microbiologie, Faculteit Wetenschappen, Universiteit Gent, Gent, Belgium
Correspondence
Paola Bonfante
p.bonfante{at}ipp.cnr.it
| ABSTRACT |
|---|
|
|
|---|
-Proteobacteria, with the genera Burkholderia, Pandoraea and Ralstonia as its closest neighbours. Primers specific to the 16S rDNA of the endosymbiotic bacteria of BEG 34 allowed amplification of spore DNA from endosymbionts of Gigaspora margarita, Gigaspora decipiens, S. persica and S. castanea, but not from the Gigaspora gigantea endosymbiont (which was morphologically different) or from the cytoplasm of Gigaspora rosea (which did not contain endosymbiotic bacteria). These specific primers were successfully used as a probe for the in-situ hybridization of endobacteria in Gigaspora margarita spores. The overall rod-shaped morphology of the Gigaspora margarita, Gigaspora decipiens, S. persica and S. castanea endosymbionts was similar, and amplification and sequence analysis of the almost-complete 16S rRNA genes of several Gigaspora margarita, S. persica and S. castanea endosymbionts revealed over 98 % sequence similarity. These morphological and genomic characteristics were used to assign the endosymbionts of these three species (five isolates) of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi as Candidatus Glomeribacter gigasporarum gen. nov., sp. nov.
| MAIN TEXT |
|---|
|
|
|---|
Gigaspora margarita BEG 34 endosymbiont
In 1996, Bianciotto et al. (1996)
reported the morphological and genotypic characteristics of rod-shaped prokaryotic cells that occurred in spores of Gigaspora margarita isolate BEG 34. The spores were recovered from pot cultures of Trifolium repens L. (clover), rinsed and surface-sterilized. Sterilized clover seeds had been sown in sterilized quartz sand, and mycorrhizal plants were obtained by injecting a sterilized suspension of Gigaspora margarita spores around the seedlings.
Spores of Gigaspora margarita and mycorrhizal roots of clover prepared after high-pressure/freeze-fixation and examined by using electron microscopy (Bonfante et al., 1994
) revealed, in the vacuoles, large numbers of rod-shaped bacteria-like organisms with a laminated cell wall and a cytoplasm rich in ribosomes (Fig. 1
a, b). Organisms with similar morphology, including cells undergoing division, were observed in vacuoles within germinating mycelium and within the intraradical hyphae produced during root infection. Analysis of unfixed crushed spores after staining with the Bacteria Counting kit (Molecular Probes) confirmed that the bacteria-like organisms were indeed rod-shaped bacteria which fluoresced as green (Fig. 2
). At higher magnification, many bacteria appeared in division (inset, Fig. 2
).
|
|
-Proteobacteria. This 16S rDNA sequence (GenBank accession no. X89727) was used to design primers BLOf [5'-CACAGGTT(TG)AAACACTGGGT-3'] and BLOr (5'-GTCATCCACTCCGATTATTTA-3') for the specific amplification of a 411 bp fragment of the endosymbiotic DNA. PCR analysis gave products of the expected length from spores, external mycelium and from clover roots mycorrhized with Gigaspora margarita BEG 34, but not from any of the negative controls (DNA extracted from Gigaspora rosea spores and washing solutions of the spores). These observations demonstrated that Gigaspora margarita BEG 34 harboured a large homogeneous bacterial population that was present in all stages of the fungal life-cycle. These bacteria were an integral part of the fungal system, where they formed a large surface area that could serve for metabolic exchange.
Distribution of bacterial endosymbionts in other arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi belonging to the Gigasporaceae
In order to understand whether intracellular bacteria occurred sporadically in individual arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal isolates or were a common feature of the family Gigasporaceae, Bianciotto et al. (2000)
subsequently investigated two additional isolates of Gigaspora margarita (derived from distinct geographical areas), four isolates of Gigaspora rosea, one isolate each of Gigaspora gigantea and Gigaspora decipiens, two isolates of Scutellospora persica and one isolate of Scutellospora castanea.
Intracellular bacteria were observed in all fungal isolates except for the four Gigaspora rosea isolates. The overall morphology of the endosymbiotic cells was similar, except for those in Gigaspora gigantea, which were rounder and smaller. In-situ hybridization experiments using the oligonucleotide rDNA sequence BLOr were performed on three fungal isolates [two of Gigaspora margarita (BEG 34 and WV 205A) and one of Gigaspora rosea (BEG 9)] and confirmed, in Gigaspora margarita isolates, the identity and location of endobacteria in arbuscular mycorrhizal spores. A positive signal was obtained in Gigaspora margarita BEG 34 and Gigaspora margarita WV 205A, but not in the cytoplasm of Gigaspora rosea. Amplification of endobacterial 16S rDNA with universal prokaryotic primers 27f and 1495r (Bianciotto et al., 1996
) generated fragments for all fungal isolates in which endobacteria were observed. Application of the BLOf/BLOr primer pair in a PCR test generated fragments for the same isolates, except for the Gigaspora gigantea endosymbiont, which was also morphologically atypical.
The endosymbionts of four fungal isolates were examined further. Amplification and sequence analysis of almost the complete 16S rDNA of the S. persica HC/F E28, S. persica HC/F E09, S. castanea BEG 1 and Gigaspora margarita WV 205A endosymbionts (GenBank accession numbers AJ251634, AJ251635, AJ251636 and AJ251633, respectively) and of the Gigaspora margarita BEG 34 endosymbiont revealed over 98 % sequence similarity (Fig. 3
). These five sequences formed a very distinct lineage within the
-Proteobacteria, with the genera Burkholderia, Pandoraea and Ralstonia as the closest neighbours. A 100 % bootstrap value confirmed that the phylogenetic position of these endosymbionts was stable and that the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal endosymbionts were different from the unculturable endosymbionts from leaf galls of Psychotria species (plant species belonging to the angiosperm family Rubiaceae), which are genuine members of the genus Burkholderia (Candidatus B. kirkii' in Fig. 3
; Van Oevelen et al., 2002
).
|
In addition, the random sequencing method was used to obtain additional genomic information and revealed the presence of open reading frames encoding orphan proteins (having no sequence similarity to proteins available in databases) and putative proteins showing similarity to other bacterial proteins. These proteins were involved in chemotaxis (CheY), the signal transduction pathway (McpA), kinases (PrkA), host-specificity proteins (bacteriophage
protein J), sporulation proteins (SpoVR) and proteins with unknown functions (Minerdi et al., 2002a
, b
). While the first two hypothetical proteins raise some interesting questions as to the capacity of these endosymbionts to sense the nutrient source, the others suggest the presence of proteins involved in basal cell metabolism and taxis. Interestingly, the proteins with no sequence similarity to database proteins did not show any homology with the open reading frames identified in the Buchnera genome, which, together with the Rickettsia genome, represent the only fully sequenced genomes of uncultivable microbes (Shigenobu et al., 2000
). However, it is important to underline that direct evidence is not yet available that all these genes belong to the genome of the novel Candidatus taxon.
Candidatus Glomeribacter gigasporarum gen. nov., sp. nov.
According to Murray & Schleifer (1994)
and Murray & Stackebrandt (1995)
, the properties of uncultured organisms should be recorded under a Candidatus designation. Our data demonstrate that the endosymbionts of Gigaspora margarita, S. persica and S. castanea represent a single taxon with a similar morphology. This endosymbiont can be detected and identified using the BLOf/BLOr primer pair in a PCR test. The digoxigenin-labelled BLOr oligonucleotide can be used for in-situ hybridization experiments. The present data also suggest that the Gigaspora gigantea endosymbiont represents a distinct Candidatus taxon, for which no formal name is proposed pending the availability of almost the complete 16S rDNA sequence and a specific probe.
The endosymbiont of Gigaspora margarita, S. persica and S. castanea can be described as follows: Candidatus Glomeribacter gigasporarum gen. nov., sp. nov. (Glo.me.ri.bac'ter. L. gen. n. glomeris of a cluster; N.L. masc. n. bacter bacterium; N.L. n. Glomeribacter clustered bacterium; gi.ga.spo.ra'rum. N.L. gen. pl. n. gigasporarum of species of Gigaspora, a fungal genus) [(
-Proteobacteria) NC; G-; R; NAS (GenBank nos X89727, AJ251634, AJ251635, AJ251636 and AJ251633); oligonucleotide sequence complementary to unique region of 16S rRNA gene 5'-GTCATCCACTCCGATTATTTA-3', S (Gigaspora margarita, S. persica and S. castanea, fungal species belonging to the order Diversisporales, cytoplasm of spores and mycelium)] (Bianciotto et al., 1996
, 2000
).
Cells are Gram-negative, rod-shaped and 0·8-1·2x1·5-2·0 µm in size [dimensions were measured under fluorescence using the Counting Bacteria kit (Molecular probes) and a Olympus FluoView confocal microscope]. They occur singly or in groups surrounded by vacuole membranes.
| ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS |
|---|
| REFERENCES |
|---|
|
|
|---|
Bianciotto, V., Lumini, E., Lanfranco, L., Minerdi, D., Bonfante, P. & Perotto, S. (2000). Detection and identification of bacterial endosymbionts in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi belonging to the family Gigasporaceae. Appl Environ Microbiol 66, 45034509.
Bonfante, P., Balestrini, R. & Mendgen, K. (1994). Storage and secretion processes in the spore of Gigaspora margarita Becker & Hall as revealed by high-pressure freezing and free substitution. New Phytol 128, 93101.[CrossRef]
MacDonald, R. M. & Chandler, M. R. (1981). Bacterium-like organelles in the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus caledonius. New Phytol 89, 241246.[CrossRef]
Minerdi, D., Fani, R., Gallo, R., Boarino, A. & Bonfante, P. (2001). Nitrogen fixation genes in an endosymbiotic Burkholderia strain. Appl Environ Microbiol 67, 725732.
Minerdi, D., Bianciotto, V. & Bonfante, P. (2002a). Endosymbiotic bacteria in mycorrhizal fungi: from their morphology to genomic sequences. Plant Soil 244, 211219.[CrossRef]
Minerdi, D., Fani, R. & Bonfante, P. (2002b). Identification and evolutionary analysis of putative cytoplasmic McpA-like protein in a bacterial strain living in symbiosis with a mycorrhizal fungus. J Mol Evol 54, 815824.[CrossRef][Medline]
Mosse, B. (1970). Honey-coloured, sessile Endogone spores. II. Changes in fine structure during spore development. Arch Mikrobiol 74, 129145.[CrossRef]
Murray, R. G. E. & Schleifer, K. H. (1994). Taxonomic notes: a proposal for recording the properties of putative taxa of procaryotes. Int J Syst Bacteriol 44, 174176.
Murray, R. G. E. & Stackebrandt, E. (1995). Taxonomic note: implementation of the provisional status Candidatus for incompletely described procaryotes. Int J Syst Bacteriol 45, 186187.
Pirozynski, K. A. & Malloch, D. W. (1975). The origin of land plants: a matter of mycotrophism. Biosystems 6, 153164.[CrossRef][Medline]
Read, D. J., Lewis, D. H., Fitter, A. H. & Alexander, I. J. (1992). Mycorrhizas in Ecosystems. Oxford: CAB International.
Ruiz-Lozano, J. M. & Bonfante, P. (1999). Identification of a putative P-transporter operon in the genome of a Burkholderia strain living inside the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Gigaspora margarita. J Bacteriol 181, 41064109.
Ruiz-Lozano, J. M. & Bonfante, P. (2000). A Burkholderia strain living inside the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Gigaspora margarita possesses the vacB gene, which is involved in host cell colonization by bacteria. Microb Ecol 39, 137144.[CrossRef][Medline]
Scannerini, S. & Bonfante, P. (1991). Bacteria and bacteria like objects in endomycorrhizal fungi (Glomaceae). In Symbiosis as a Source of Evolutionary Innovation: Speciation and Morphogenesis, pp. 273287. Edited by L. Margulis & R. Fester. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Schüßler, A., Schwarzott, D. & Walker, C. (2001). A new fungal phylum, the Glomeromycota: phylogeny and evolution. Mycol Res 105, 14131421.[CrossRef]
Shigenobu, S., Watanabe, H., Hattori, M., Sakaki, Y. & Ishikawa, H. (2000). Genome sequence of the endocellular bacterial symbiont of aphids Buchnera sp. APS. Nature 407, 8186.[CrossRef][Medline]
van Buuren, M. L., Lanfranco, L., Longato, S., Minerdi, D., Harrison, M. J. & Bonfante, P. (1999). Construction and characterization of genomic libraries of two endomycorrhizal fungi: Glomus versiforme and Gigaspora margarita. Mycol Res 103, 955960.[CrossRef]
Van Oevelen, S., De Wachter, R., Vandamme, P., Robbrecht, E. & Prinsen, E. (2002). Identification of the bacterial endosymbionts in leaf galls of Psychotria (Rubiaceae, angiosperms) and proposal of Candidatus Burkholderia kirkii sp. nov. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 52, 20232027.[Abstract]
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
L. P. Partida-Martinez, I. Groth, I. Schmitt, W. Richter, M. Roth, and C. Hertweck Burkholderia rhizoxinica sp. nov. and Burkholderia endofungorum sp. nov., bacterial endosymbionts of the plant-pathogenic fungus Rhizopus microsporus Int J Syst Evol Microbiol, November 1, 2007; 57(11): 2583 - 2590. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
R. Ligrone, A. Carafa, E. Lumini, V. Bianciotto, P. Bonfante, and J. G. Duckett Glomeromycotean associations in liverworts: a molecular, cellular, and taxonomic analysis Am. J. Botany, November 1, 2007; 94(11): 1756 - 1777. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
P. Jargeat, C. Cosseau, B. Ola'h, A. Jauneau, P. Bonfante, J. Batut, and G. Becard Isolation, Free-Living Capacities, and Genome Structure of "Candidatus Glomeribacter gigasporarum," the Endocellular Bacterium of the Mycorrhizal Fungus Gigaspora margarita J. Bacteriol., October 15, 2004; 186(20): 6876 - 6884. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
V. Bianciotto, A. Genre, P. Jargeat, E. Lumini, G. Becard, and P. Bonfante Vertical Transmission of Endobacteria in the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus Gigaspora margarita through Generation of Vegetative Spores Appl. Envir. Microbiol., June 1, 2004; 70(6): 3600 - 3608. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
F. A. de Souza, G. A. Kowalchuk, P. Leeflang, J. A. van Veen, and E. Smit PCR-Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis Profiling of Inter- and Intraspecies 18S rRNA Gene Sequence Heterogeneity Is an Accurate and Sensitive Method To Assess Species Diversity of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi of the Genus Gigaspora Appl. Envir. Microbiol., March 1, 2004; 70(3): 1413 - 1424. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
P. Bonfante Plants, Mycorrhizal Fungi and Endobacteria: a Dialog Among Cells and Genomes Biol. Bull., April 1, 2003; 204(2): 215 - 220. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| INT J SYST EVOL MICROBIOL | MICROBIOLOGY | J GEN VIROL |
| J MED MICROBIOL | ALL SGM JOURNALS | |