Endophytic Actinobacteria: Diversity and Ecology
Actinobacteria are a group of Gram-positive microorganisms with a high G+C content in their DNA and belong to the phylum Actinobacteria, one of the largest phyla within bacteria. Some of these actinobacteria have an endophytic lifestyle which occurs abund
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Endophytic Actinobacteria: Diversity and Ecology Venkadasamy Govindasamy, Christopher M.M. Franco, and Vadakattu V.S.R. Gupta
Abstract
Actinobacteria are a group of Gram-positive microorganisms with a high G+C content in their DNA and belong to the phylum Actinobacteria, one of the largest phyla within bacteria. Some of these actinobacteria have an endophytic lifestyle which occurs abundantly in most plants. The abundance and diversity of endophytic actinobacterial colonisation depend on plant species, type of soils and other associated environmental conditions. Streptomyces spp. were reported as the most predominant species, and Microbispora, Micromonospora, Nocardioides, Nocardia and Streptosporangium are other common genera of endophytic actinobacteria isolated from a diverse range of plant species, including those found in estuarine/mangrove ecosystems and algae and seaweeds of marine ecosystems. Over the years, isolation media have been devised and numerous methods have been standardised for the isolation, identification and characterisation of these endophytic actinobacteria. Recent advances in molecular tools have revealed the ‘not yet cultured’ diversity within this group. Therefore, a combination of both culturebased and molecular techniques is essential to describe the diversity and ecology of endophytic actinobacteria. The quest for actinobacteria and their metabolic capabilities is ongoing, as they represent the largest ecological resource for secondary metabolites (plant hormones, antibiotics and other bioactive compounds), with potential biotechnological applications in agriculture, industry and medicine.
V. Govindasamy Department of Medical Biotechnology, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia National Institute of Abiotic Stress Management, ICAR, Malegaon, Baramati, Maharashtra 413115, India
C.M.M. Franco (*) Department of Medical Biotechnology, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia e-mail: [email protected] V.V.S.R. Gupta Department of Medical Biotechnology, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, PMB No 2, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia
V.C. Verma and A.C. Gange (eds.), Advances in Endophytic Research, DOI 10.1007/978-81-322-1575-2_2, © Springer India 2014
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Introduction
Plants are naturally associated with microorganisms both externally and internally in various ways. On the exterior surface of plants, diverse microbial interactions occur mostly in the root zone (rhizosphere) and on aerial parts, especially the leaves (phyllosphere) (Hiltner 1904; Yang et al. 2001; Lindow and Brandl 2003; Gray and Smith 2005). Some of the rhizosphere- and phyllosphere-derived microorganisms, which are either bacteria or fungi, are able to penetrate the interior of the plant and colonise intercellular spaces and vascular tissues, where they reside at least part of their lives showing beneficial/symbiotic, neutral or pathogenic interactions (Tervet and Hollis 1948; Hallman et al. 1997; Araujo e
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