Characterization of the Non-rhizobial Bacterial Community in the Nodule-Associated Soils of Akebono Soybeans and Isolation of Antibiotic Producing Amycolatopsis spp.

The unique Akebono soybeans are cultivated in Minobu Town, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. The biogeography of Akebono soybeans and the microbial diversity associated with their root nodules remain unexplored. This study investigated the nodule-associated microbial community of Akebono soybeans using molecular techniques. The results showed that the family Bradyrhizobiaceae was dominant in soybeans obtained from Minobu town Imata (MI), Minobu town IItomi (MS), and Minobu town Hirase (MN). In contrast, members of the family Pseudonocardiaceae were isolated from the nodule samples from Minobu town Yasaiku (MY). The community structure of MY was different from that of the other sites and the genus Amycolatopsis was dominant. The bacterial community in the nodule associated soil obtained from the Minobu area was different from that of soybeans cultivated in Kofu City (approximately 35 km away from Minobu Town). The MY1 strain of Amycolatopsis spp. was isolated from the nodule associated soil in MY and was found to produce antibiotics. This study showed that the bacterial community in the nodules and the adjacent rhizosphere may be a regional characteristic of Akebono soybeans and the specific Amycolatopsis spp. dominant in the nodule associated soil of MY was implicated in determining the bacterial community structure. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12088-022-00999-x. © Association of Microbiologists of India 2022.