@article{fdi:010061200,
  title = {{D}efinition and evolution of a new symbiovar, sv. rigiduloides, among {E}nsifer meliloti efficiently nodulating {M}edicago species},
  author = {{G}ubry-{R}angin, {C}. and {B}{\'e}na, {G}illes and {C}leyet-{M}arel, {J}. {C}. and {B}runel, {B}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{U}nderstanding functional diversity is one of the main goals of microbial ecology, and definition of new bacterial ecotypes contributes significantly to this objective. {N}itrogen-fixing bacteria provide a good system for investigation of ecotypes/biovars/symbiovars, as they present different specific associations with several host plants. {T}his specific symbiosis is reflected both in the nodulation and fixation efficiency and in genetic characters of the bacteria, and several biovars have already been described in the bacterial species {E}nsifer meliloti. {I}n the present study, the species affiliation of {E}. meliloti strains trapped from nodules sampled from {M}edicago rigiduloides roots was analyzed using housekeeping rec{A} genes and {DNA} {DNA} hybridization. {T}he genetic diversity of these isolates was also investigated using several symbiotic markers: nodulation (nod{A}, nod{B}, nod{C}) and nitrogen fixation (nif{H}) genes, as well as the performance of phenotypic tests of nodulation capacity and nitrogen fixation efficiency. {T}hese analyses led to the proposal of a new bacterial symbiovar, {E}. meliloti sv. rigiduloides, that fixed nitrogen efficiently on {M}. rigiduloides, but not on {M}edicago truncatula. {U}sing phylogenetic reconstructions, including the different described symbiovars, several hypotheses of lateral gene transfer and gene loss are proposed to explain the emergence of symbiovars within this species. {T}he widespread geographical distribution of this symbiovar around the {M}editerranean {B}asin, in contrast to restriction of {M}. rigiduloides to {E}astern {E}uropean countries, suggests that these isolates might also be associated with other plant species. {T}he description of a new symbiovar within {E}. meliloti confirms the need for accurate bacterial ecological classification, especially for analysis of bacterial populations.},
  keywords = {{S}pecies ; {E}cotype ; {B}iovar ; {G}enetic diversity ; {S}ymbiosis ; {N}itrogen fixation ; {N}odulation genes},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{S}ystematic and {A}pplied {M}icrobiology},
  volume = {36},
  numero = {7},
  pages = {490--496},
  ISSN = {0723-2020},
  year = {2013},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.syapm.2013.06.004},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010061200},
}