Bacterial soil community in a Brazilian sugarcane field

Author(s)

Dini-Andreote, Francisco ^{[1, 2]} ; Andreote, Fernando Dini ^[3] ; Costa, Rodrigo ^[4] ; Taketani, Rodrigo Gouvea ^[5] ; van Elsas, Jan Dirk ^[2] ; Araujo, Welington Luiz ^{[6, 7]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Genet, Escola Super Agr Luiz de Queiroz, Piracicaba, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Groningen RUG, Dept Microbial Ecol, Ctr Ecol & Evolutionary Studies, NL-9751 NN Groningen - Netherlands

^[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Soil Sci, Escola Super Agr Luiz de Queiroz, Piracicaba, SP - Brazil

^[4] Univ Algarve, Microbial Ecol & Evolut Res Grp, Ctr Marine Sci CCMAR CIMAR, P-8005139 Faro - Portugal

^[5] Univ Sao Paulo, Ctr Energia Nucl Agr, Piracicaba, SP - Brazil

^[6] Univ Mogi das Cruzes, NIB, Lab Mol Biol & Microbial Ecol, BR-08780911 Mogi Das Cruzes, SP - Brazil

^[7] Univ Mogi das Cruzes, NIB, Biotechnol Res Ctr, BR-08780911 Mogi Das Cruzes, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: PLANT AND SOIL; v. 336, n. 1-2, p. 337-349, NOV 2010.
• Web of Science Citations: 13

Abstract

The assessment of bacterial communities in soil gives insight into microbial behavior under prevailing environmental conditions. In this context, we assessed the composition of soil bacterial communities in a Brazilian sugarcane experimental field. The experimental design encompassed plots containing common sugarcane (variety SP80-1842) and its transgenic form (IMI-1 - imazapyr herbicide resistant). Plants were grown in such field plots in a completely randomized design with three treatments, which addressed the factors transgene and imazapyr herbicide application. Soil samples were taken at three developmental stages during plant growth and analyzed using 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA)-based PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) and clone libraries. PCR-DGGE fingerprints obtained for the total bacterial community and specific bacterial groups - Actinobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria - revealed that the structure of these assemblages did not differ over time and among treatments. Nevertheless, slight differences among 16S rRNA gene clone libraries constructed from each treatment could be observed at particular cut-off levels. Altogether, the libraries encompassed a total of eleven bacterial phyla and the candidate divisions TM7 and OP10. Clone sequences affiliated with the Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes and Acidobacteria were, in this order, most abundant. Accurate phylogenetic analyses were performed for the phyla Acidobacteria and Verrucomicrobia, revealing the structures of these groups, which are still poorly understood as to their importance for soil functioning and sustainability under agricultural practices. (AU)