Genomic and metabolic differences between Pseudomonas putida populations inhabiting sugarcane rhizosphere or bulk soil

PLoS One. 2019 Oct 3;14(10):e0223269. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223269. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Pseudomonas putida is one of 13 major groups of Pseudomonas spp. and contains numerous species occupying diverse niches and performing many functions such as plant growth promotion and bioremediation. Here we compared a set of 19 P. putida isolates obtained from sugarcane rhizosphere or bulk soil using a population genomics approach aiming to assess genomic and metabolic differences between populations from these habitats. Phylogenomics placed rhizosphere versus bulk soil strains in separate clades clustering with different type strains of the P. putida group. Multivariate analyses indicated that the rhizosphere and bulk soil isolates form distinct populations. Comparative genomics identified several genetic functions (GO-terms) significantly different between populations, including some exclusively present in the rhizosphere or bulk soil strains, such as D-galactonic acid catabolism and cellulose biosynthesis, respectively. The metabolic profiles of rhizosphere and bulk soil populations analyzed by Biolog Ecoplates also differ significantly, most notably by the higher oxidation of D-galactonic/D-galacturonic acid by the rhizosphere population. Accordingly, D-galactonate catabolism operon (dgo) was present in all rhizosphere isolates and absent in the bulk soil population. This study showed that sugarcane rhizosphere and bulk soil harbor different populations of P. putida and identified genes and functions potentially associated with their soil niches.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Antibiosis*
  • Genetics, Population
  • Genome, Bacterial*
  • Genomics* / methods
  • Metabolomics* / methods
  • Phylogeny
  • Pseudomonas putida / classification
  • Pseudomonas putida / physiology*
  • Rhizosphere*
  • Saccharum / physiology*
  • Soil Microbiology*

Grants and funding

This research was supported by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) project 2013/50353-7 to FDA; Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Technologico (CNPq) grant 302168/2014-1 to FDA; the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), US Department of Agriculture award 2014-51181-22384 to JC; and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), US Department of Agriculture award 2011-67019-30192 to JL. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.