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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, November 2005, p. 6784-6792, Vol. 71, No. 11
0099-2240/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.71.11.6784-6792.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Links between Plant and Rhizoplane Bacterial Communities in Grassland Soils, Characterized Using Molecular Techniques

Naoise Nunan,1,{dagger} Timothy J. Daniell,2 Brajesh K. Singh,3 Artemis Papert,4 James W. McNicol,1 and James I. Prosser4*

Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland, Scottish Crop Research Institute, Dundee DD2 5DA, Scotland, United Kingdom,1 Plant-Soil Interface, Scottish Crop Research Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, Scotland, United Kingdom,2 The Macaulay Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, Scotland, United Kingdom,3 School of Medical Sciences, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, Scotland, United Kingdom4

Received 10 November 2004/ Accepted 28 June 2005

Molecular analysis of grassland rhizosphere soil has demonstrated complex and diverse bacterial communities, with resultant difficulties in detecting links between plant and bacterial communities. These studies have, however, analyzed "bulk" rhizosphere soil, rather than rhizoplane communities, which interact most closely with plants through utilization of root exudates. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that plant species was a major driver for bacterial rhizoplane community composition on individual plant roots. DNA extracted from individual roots was used to determine plant identity, by analysis of the plastid tRNA leucine (trnL) UAA gene intron, and plant-related bacterial communities. Bacterial communities were characterized by analysis of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA genes using two fingerprinting methods: terminal restriction fragment length polymorphisms (T-RFLP) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Links between plant and bacterial rhizoplane communities could not be detected by visual examination of T-RFLP patterns or DGGE banding profiles. Statistical analysis of fingerprint patterns did not reveal a relationship between bacterial community composition and plant species but did demonstrate an influence of plant community composition. The data also indicated that topography and other, uncharacterized, environmental factors are important in driving bacterial community composition in grassland soils. T-RFLP had greater potential resolving power than DGGE, but findings from the two methods were not significantly different.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: School of Medical Sciences, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, United Kingdom. Phone: 44-1224-555848. Fax: 44-1224-555844. E-mail: j.prosser{at}abdn.ac.uk.

{dagger} Present address: CNRS, Laboratoire de Biogéochimie des Milieux Continentaux, Centre INRA Versailles-Grignon, Bâtiment EGER, Aile B, F-78850 Thiverval-Grignon, France.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, November 2005, p. 6784-6792, Vol. 71, No. 11
0099-2240/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.71.11.6784-6792.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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