Journal of Microbiology

Journal Articles

Effects of Phosphorus‑dissolving Dark Septate Endophytes on the Growth of Blueberry: Qixin Luo , Rui Hou , Xiaojing Shang , Si Li; J. Microbiol. 2023;61(9):837-851. Published online October 5, 2023; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-023-00080-2

Abstract: Dark septate endophytes (DSEs) are widely distributed and improve plant growth. DSEs secrete large amounts of enzymes to mineralize insoluble phosphorus in soil and convert it into soluble phosphorus, promoting plant uptake of phosphorus. However, the effects of DSEs with phosphate-solubilizing ability on host plants need further study. In this study, phosphorusdissolving DSEs were screened for growth-promoting effects. We isolated, identified and characterized three DSE species (Thozetella neonivea, Pezicula ericae and Hyaloscyphaceae sp.) showing phosphate-solubilizing ability. The impact of single, dual or triple inoculation of DSEs on blueberry plant characteristics was studied. Their effects on colonization intensity, seedling biomass, nutrients in plants and soil, and activities of plant resistance enzymes and soil enzymes were markedly upregulated relative to the control (P < 0.05). The available phosphorus and acid phosphatase levels in different combinations were significantly increased. These findings indicate that the application of the three DSEs may be valuable in facilitating the cultivation of blueberry with a higher biomass and improved plant quality.

Transposon insertion site sequencing (TIS) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Hongbaek Cho; J. Microbiol. 2021;59(12):1067-1074. Published online December 4, 2021; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-021-1565-y

Abstract: Transposon insertion site sequencing (TIS) is a technique that determines the insertion profile of a transposon mutant library by massive parallel sequencing of transposon-genomic DNA junctions. Because the transposon insertion profile reflects the abundance of each mutant in the library, it provides information to assess the fitness contribution of each genetic locus of a bacterial genome in a specific growth condition or strain background. Although introduced only about a dozen years ago, TIS has become an important tool in bacterial genetics that provides clues to study biological functions and regulatory mechanisms. Here, I describe a protocol for generating high density transposon insertion mutant libraries and preparing Illumina sequencing samples for mapping the transposon junctions of the transposon mutant libraries using Pseudomonas aeruginosa as an example.

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