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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, November 2004, p. 6569-6579, Vol. 70, No. 11
0099-2240/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.70.11.6569-6579.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Diversity and Antagonistic Potential of Bacteria Associated with Bryophytes from Nutrient-Poor Habitats of the Baltic Sea Coast

Katja Opelt and Gabriele Berg*

Department of Microbiology, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany

Received 29 December 2003/ Accepted 11 July 2004

Very little is known about the interaction of bryophytes with bacteria. Therefore, we analyzed bacteria associated with three bryophyte species, Tortula ruralis, Aulacomnium palustre, and Sphagnum rubellum, which represent typical moss species of three nutrient-poor plant communities at the southern Baltic Sea coast in Germany. By use of two cultivation-independent techniques, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis of the 16S ribosomal DNA, a high degree of moss specificity was found for associated bacterial communities. This specificity could be further evidenced by a cultivation-dependent approach for the following parameters: (i) plate counts of bacteria on R2A medium, (ii) proportion of antagonistic isolates, (iii) antagonistic activity as well as spectrum against pathogens, and (iv) diversity and richness of antagonistic isolates. The proportion of isolates with antagonistic activity against the pathogenic model fungus Verticillium dahliae was highest for S. rubellum (31%), followed by A. palustre (17%) and T. ruralis (5%). A high percentage (99%) of moss-associated antagonistic bacteria produced antifungal compounds. The high recovery of antagonistic isolates strongly suggests that bryophytes represent an ecological niche which harbors a diverse and hitherto largely uncharacterized microbial population with yet unknown and untapped potential biotechnological applications, e.g., for biological control of plant pathogens.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Universität Rostock, Fachbereich Biowissenschaften, Mikrobiologie, D-18051 Rostock, Germany. Phone: 49 381 4986154. Fax: 49 381 4986152. E-mail: gabriele.berg{at}biologie.uni-rostock.de.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, November 2004, p. 6569-6579, Vol. 70, No. 11
0099-2240/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.70.11.6569-6579.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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