Twenty-three bacterial strains were isolated from root nodules of Spartium junceum L., growing wild in four distinct geographic locations in Bejaia city (Northeastern Algeria). They were analyzed based on their symbiotic effectiveness, phenotypic properties and restriction fragment length polymorphism of the 16S rRNA gene. In addition, sequence analyses of the ribosomal gene, protein-coding housekeeping genes glnII and recA, and symbiotic gene (nodC) were used to clarifying their taxonomic and phylogenetic position.Plant infection tests revealed that all strains were able to form nodules on their original host plant, but with variable nodulation ability and symbiotic effectiveness. All strains were slow-growing, alkali-producing rhizobia in YEMA medium. According to phenotypic test results, the strains were grouped in four main clusters in a UPGMA dendrogram, while they were discriminated into 12 distinct genotypes by 16S rDNA-RFLP. Phylogenetic analyses of 16S rRNA genes and two concatenated housekeeping genes, glnII and recA, distributed the representative strains from each RFLP genotypes into two major clades within Bradyrhizobium genus. Some of these strains were closely related to B. retamae and B. japonicum whereas others represented four novel genospecies. Based on analysis of the symbiotic gene sequence (nodC), all strains were placed in the symbiovar retamae cluster except for SjBA12 which possibly constitutes a new symbiovar within the genus Bradyrhizobium.

中文翻译：

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缓生根瘤菌的共生，表型和基因型特征 来自阿尔及利亚东北部Bejaia的结节草Snceium junceum L.

从君王天蛾根结节中分离出二十三种细菌菌株，它们在贝贾亚市（阿尔及利亚东北部）的四个不同地理位置野生。根据它们的共生功效，表型性质和16S rRNA基因的限制性片段长度多态性对它们进行了分析。此外，对核糖体基因，蛋白质编码管家基因glnII和recA以及共生基因（nodC植物感染试验表明，所有菌株均能在其原始寄主植物上形成结节，但其结瘤能力和共生功效可变。所有菌株在YEMA培养基中均生长缓慢，会产生碱根瘤菌。根据表型测试结果，将菌株分为UPGMA树状图的四个主要簇，而通过16S rDNA-RFLP将其区分为12个不同的基因型。对16S rRNA基因和两个串联的管家基因glnII和recA进行的系统发育分析，将来自每种RFLP基因型的代表性菌株分布到了Bradyrhizobium属的两个主要进化枝中。其中一些菌株与B. retamae和B. japonicum，而其他代表了四个新的基因种。根据对共生基因序列（nodC）的分析，除SjBA12以外，所有菌株均被置于共生体retamae群中，而SjBA12可能构成了缓生根瘤菌属中的一个新的共生体。