Life Sciences Commons^™

Diversity Of Nitrogen-Fixing Symbionts Of Chamaecrista Fasciculata (Partridge Pea) Across Variable Soils, Hanna E. Dorman, Lisa E. Wallace

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

We evaluated whether geographic distance and soil characteristics influence genetic structure of nitrogen-fixing bacterial symbionts associated with the host plant Chamaecrista fasciculata (Partridge Pea). We tested phylogeographic clustering and associations between genetic distance, geographic distance, and soil variables using sequences of 2 bacterial genes and soil chemistry across 23 sites in Mississippi. We identified rhizobia isolated from Partridge Pea as Bradyrhizobium. We detected significant genetic structure at a regional level, and determined that rhizobia within each region were more phylogenetically related than expected. Significant correlation between genetic distance and distances based on soil chemistry suggests environmental influences on rhizobia …