Evolution and horizontal transfer of rhizobia genome isolated from Japanese alpine legumes

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K18595
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Biodiversity/Systematics
• Research Institution: Shinshu University
• Principal Investigator: TAKANSHI Kojiro 信州大学, 先鋭領域融合研究群山岳科学研究所, 助教(特定雇用) (10632119)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: マメ科植物 / 共生遺伝子 / 水平伝播 / 根粒菌 / 高山植物

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Horizontal gene transfer plays an important role in the evolution of bacteria that can add novel abilities, such as environmental tolerance, pathogenicity, and symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF) with legume plant. Since SNF is established in a species-specific manner, the horizontal transfer of symbiosis islands may contribute to the host specificity of symbiosis between legume plants and rhizobia, however, knowledge about the host specificity mediated by horizontal transfer of symbiosis islands in nature is very limited.
In this study, genetic relationships between alpine legumes and their rhizobia were analysed and resulted that host specificity of legume-rhizobia symbiosis was conserved partly in genus-specific manner. This result suggested that the horizontal transfer contributes to keep the host specificity to some extent.

Free Research Field

植物分子生物学