A rhizobia strain isolated from root nodule of gymnosperm Podocarpus macrophyllus.

Symbiotic nitrogen fixation of rhizobia and leguminous plants is considered as the most important biologic nitrogen fixation system on earth. Symbiotic nodulation of gymnosperm Podocarpus macrophyllus and rhizobia has never been reported. In this study, 11 endophytic bacteria strains were isolated from root nodules of P. macrophyllus and its variation P. macrophyllus var. maki. The plant infection tests on these strains indicated that the isolated strains could be nodulated on P. macrophyllus plants, and weak nitrogenase activity of nodules was found in acetylene reduction method. According to the physiological and biochemical characteristics of the 11 strains, GXLO 02 was selected as the representative strain. 16S rDNA full-length sequence analysis of GXLO 02 confirmed that the representative strain GXLO 02 belongs to Rhizobium sp.