Nature des Rhizobia associés à 15 espèces du genre Lotus en Algérie

Despite the importance of the genus Lotus representatives in Algeria, their symbiotic status and the nature of associated rhizobia are unknown. This study on 39 Lotus plants belonging to 15 species showed that they are all nodulated and nitrogen-fixing and allowed the isolation of 38 authenticated strains of bacteria nodulating legumes. Analysis of 16 S rRNA gene sequences of these strains indicated a predominance of the strains of the genus Mesorhizobium represented by 10 species among which M. erdmanii, M. ciceri, and M. jarvisii are the most frequent. Nodulation of the examined Lotus species is assured in a lesser extent by strains of the genus Bradyrhizobium and genus Ensifer, both represented by two species. On one hand, this study revealed a part of the diversity of the rhizobia associated with the Lotus of Algeria, and on the other hand, highlighted a low involvement in the nodulation of these strains of the genus Bradyrhizobium as well as the absence of those of the species Mesorhizobium loti, two groups of rhizobia considered as the most common microsymbionts within the representatives of the genus Lotus.