This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Postma, J. Articles by VAN Veen, J. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Postma, J. Articles by VAN Veen, J. A. Agricola Articles by Postma, J. Articles by VAN Veen, J. A.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl Environ Microbiol. 1991 March; 57(3): 649-654
Copyright © 1991, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Population Dynamics of Rhizobium leguminosarum Tn5 Mutants with Altered Cell Surface Properties Introduced into Sterile and Nonsterile Soils

J. Postma^,*, C. H. Hok-A-Hin, J. M. T. Schotman, C. A. Wijffelman and J. A. VAN Veen

¹ Institute for Soil Fertility Research, P.O. Box 48, 6700 AA Wageningen, and Department of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Leiden, 2311 VJ Leiden, ² The Netherlands

ABSTRACT

The influence of cell surface properties on attachment to soil particles and on population dynamics of introduced bacteria was studied in sterilized and nonsterilized loamy sand and silt loam. Rhizobium leguminosarum RBL5523 and three Tn5 mutants (RBL5762, RBL5810, and RBL5811) with altered cell surface properties were used. Cellulose fibrils were not produced by RBL5762. Both RBL5810 and RBL5811 produced 80 to 90% less soluble exopolysaccharides and RBL5811 had, in addition, an altered lipopolysaccharide composition. In sterilized soil the total number of cells as well as the number of particle-associated cells of RBL5523 and RBL5810 were, in general, higher as compared with cell numbers of RBL5762 and RBL5811. Differences between strains in percentage of particle-associated cells in sterilized soil were only found at high inoculum densities, when populations increased little. In the nonsterilized silt loam, final population sizes, as well as numbers of particle-associated cells, of the parental strain (RBL5523) were higher than those of strains with altered cell surface properties after 56 and 112 days of incubation. But in general, differences in survival among the strains were not very marked. The importance of association with soil particles or aggregates for the survival of introduced cells was affirmed by the pronounced increase of the percentage of particle-associated cells during incubation in nonsterilized as well as sterilized soil. However, no clear relation among altered cell surface properties, particle association, and survival was found.

^* Corresponding author.

Present address: Research Institute for Plant Protection, P.O. Box 9060, 6700 GW Wageningen, The Netherlands.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Staley, T. E., Brauer, D. K. (2006). Survival of a Genetically Modified Root-Colonizing Pseudomonad and Rhizobium Strain in an Acidic Soil. Soil Sci. 70: 1906-1913 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Ruiz, J. A., López, N. I., Fernández, R. O., Méndez, B. S. (2001). Polyhydroxyalkanoate Degradation Is Associated with Nucleotide Accumulation and Enhances Stress Resistance and Survival of Pseudomonas oleovorans in Natural Water Microcosms. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67: 225-230 [Abstract] [Full Text]