Culturing the desert microbiota

Over the last 30 years, the description of microbial diversity has been mainly based on culture-independent approaches (metabarcoding and metagenomics) allowing an in-depth analysis of microbial diversity that no other approach allows. Bearing in mind that culture-dependent approaches cannot replace culture-independent approaches, we have improved an original method for isolating strains consisting of "culturing" grains of sand directly on Petri dishes (grain-by-grain method). This method allowed to cultivate up to 10% of the bacteria counted on the surface of grains of the three sites studied in the Great Western Erg in Algeria (Timoudi, Béni Abbès, and Taghit), knowing that on average about 10 bacterial cells colonize each grain. The diversity of culturable bacteria (collection of 290 strains) predicted by 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that Arthrobacter subterraneus, Arthrobacter tecti, Pseudarthrobacter phenanthrenivorans, Pseudarthrobacter psychrotolerans, and Massilia agri are the dominant species. The comparison of the culture-dependent and -independent (16S rRNA gene metabarcoding) approaches at the Timoudi site revealed 18 bacterial genera common to both approaches with a relative overestimation of the genera Arthrobacter/Pseudarthrobacter and Kocuria, and a relative underestimation of the genera Blastococcus and Domibacillus by the bacterial culturing approach. The bacterial isolates will allow further study on the mechanisms of tolerance to desiccation, especially in Pseudomonadota (Proteobacteria).

Bacterial diversity and community structure in the rhizosphere of the halophyte Halocnemum strobilaceum in an Algerian arid saline soil

Hypersaline ecosystems host a particular microbiota, which can be specifically recruited by halophytes. In order to broaden our knowledge of hypersaline ecosystems, an in natura study was conducted on the microbiota associated with the halophyte Halocnemum strobilaceum from alkaline-saline arid soil in Algeria. We collected and identified a total of 414 strains isolated from root tissues (RT), root-adhering soil (RAS), non-adhering rhizospheric soil (NARS) and bulk soil (BS) using different NaCl concentrations. Our data showed that halophilic and halotolerant bacterial isolates in BS and the rhizosphere belonged to 32 genera distributed in Proteobacteria (49%), Firmicutes (36%), Actinobacteria (14%) and Bacteroidetes (1%). Bacterial population size and species diversity were greatly increased in the rhizosphere (factor 100). The reservoir of diversity in BS was dominated by the genera Bacillus and Halomonas. Bacillus/Halomonas ratio decreased with the proximity to the roots from 2.2 in BS to 0.3 at the root surface. Salt screening of the strains showed that species belonging to nine genera were able to grow up to 5.1 M NaCl. Thus, we found that H. strobilaceum exerted a strong effect on the diversity of the recruited microbiota with an affinity strongly attributed to the genus Halomonas.

Removal of Cadmium from aqueous solution by polysaccharide produced from Paenibacillus polymyxa

This paper deals with the removal of Cadmium from aqueous solutions by polysaccharide produced from Paenibacillus polymyxa. The effects of contact time, initial metal ions concentration, mass of the polysaccharide and pH were studied. The Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) models have been applied and the equilibrium adsorption was found to best fit the Dubinin-Radushkevich adsorption isotherm based on the coefficient of correlation, R(2). The maximum Cd(2+) uptake was 520.09 mg g(-1). An empirical modeling was performed by using a 2(3) full factorial design and a regression equation for adsorption of Cd(2+) was determined from the data. The pH and the initial concentration of Cadmium are the most significant parameters affecting Cd(2+) adsorption followed by the mass of the polysaccharide.

Isolation and identification of an EPS-producing Rhizobium strain from arid soil (Algeria): characterization of its EPS and the effect of inoculation on wheat rhizosphere soil structure

The production of exopolysaccharides (EPSs) by bacterial populations in the rhizosphere has been demonstrated to contribute to water and nutrient uptake by plant roots through the modification of the physical properties of rhizosphere soil. We report here the characterization of a new EPS produced by a bacterial strain (KYGT207) isolated from an arid soil in southern Algeria (Gassi Touil), and the effect of inoculation of this strain on soil physical properties in the rhizosphere of Triticum durum L. Strain KYGT207 was assigned to the genus Rhizobium by 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing and belongs to a new species closely related to Rhizobium sullae. The EPS produced by this strain was found to be composed of glucose (Glc), galactose (Gal), and mannuronic acid (ManA) in a molar ratio of 2:1:1. The primary structure of the EPS was determined by sugar analysis, 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, consisting of a tetrasaccharide repeating unit with the following original structure: [structure: see text]. A rheological analysis showed that this EPS could be considered as a thickening agent with polyelectrolyte properties. Inoculation of wheat plantlets with strain KYGT207 caused significant promotion of plant growth (+85% for shoot dry mass and +56% for root dry mass), a significant increase in root-adhering soil (RAS) dry mass (dm) per root dm (RAS/RT) up to 137%, and in RAS aggregate water stability. We demonstrate that EPS-producing bacteria were present in sandy soils subjected to water stress and that EPS-producing Rhizobium populations play an important role in the rhizosphere through their contribution to soil aggregation.