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Rhizobacterial communities associated with the flora of three serpentine outcrops of the Iberian Peninsula

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Abstract

Aim

Plant-associated bacteria can improve phytoextraction by increasing plant growth and/or metal uptake. This study aimed to characterise the culturable rhizobacterial community associated with two Ni-hyperaccumulators and to obtain a collection of isolates for application in Ni phytomining.

Methods

Non-vegetated and rhizosphere soil samples were collected from the Ni-hyperaccumulator Alyssum serpyllifolium ssp. lusitanicum (three populations) and Alyssum serpyllifolium ssp. malacitanum (one population), as well as from non-hyperaccumulating plants (Dactylis glomerata, Santolina semidentata and Alyssum serpyllifolium ssp. serpyllifolium). Rhizobacteria were isolated and characterised genotypically (BOX-PCR, 16S rDNA sequencing) and phenotypically (Ni tolerance, plant growth promoting (PGP) traits, biosurfactant production).

Results

Hyperaccumulating Alyssum subspecies hosted higher densities of bacteria compared to either non-hyperaccumulators or non-vegetated soil. In some cases hyperaccumulators showed selective enrichment of Ni-tolerant bacteria. Most bacterial strains belonged to the Actinobacteria phylum and presented Ni resistance. Phosphorus-solubilisers were mostly associated with the hyperaccumulators, siderophore-producers with D. glomerata, and IAA-producers with both these species.

Conclusion

Taxonomic diversity and phenotypic characteristics were soil-, plant species- and plant population-specific. Moreover, differences were observed between the two Ni-hyperaccumulating subspecies and amongst plant populations. Several strains presented PGP characteristics which could be useful when selecting microorganisms for bioaugmentation trials.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (CTM2012-39904-C02-01) and FEDER, and by the 7th Framework Program of the European Commission (FP7-KBBE-266124, GREENLAND).

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Author notes

  1. Cristina Becerra-Castro

    Present address: CBQF – Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina – Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Rua Arquiteto Lobão Vital, Apartado 2511, 4202-401, Porto, Portugal

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Investigaciones Agrobiológicas de Galicia, CSIC, Apdo. 122, Santiago de Compostela, 15780, Spain

    Vanessa Álvarez-López, Ángeles Prieto-Fernández, Cristina Becerra-Castro & Petra S. Kidd

  2. Departamento Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, 15706, Spain

    Carmela Monterroso

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  1. Vanessa Álvarez-López
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Correspondence to Vanessa Álvarez-López.

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Álvarez-López, V., Prieto-Fernández, Á., Becerra-Castro, C. et al. Rhizobacterial communities associated with the flora of three serpentine outcrops of the Iberian Peninsula. Plant Soil 403, 233–252 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-015-2632-0

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