Publications by authors named "Meryeme Bennis"

The Moroccan endemic Vachellia gummifera grows wild under extreme desert conditions. This plant could be used as an alternative fodder for goats, and camels, in order to protect the Argan forests against overgrazing in Central and Southwestern Moroccan semiarid areas. With the aim to improve the V.

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Retama dasycarpa is an endemic Retama species native to the cold semi-arid bioclimates of the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco. In this work, we analyzed the diversity of the microsymbionts nodulating this plant and their different phenotypic and symbiotic characteristics. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene revealed that the tested isolates clustered in the Bradyrhizobium genus.

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Background: Mining activity in the Touissit district of Eastern Morocco has led to an unprecedented accumulation of heavy metals, mainly lead and zinc, in the tailing ponds of the open-air mines. This poses a real danger to both the environment and local population.

Objectives: The goal of this work was to characterize the Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) isolated from the rhizosphere soil of R.

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In this work, we analyzed the symbiotic performance and diversity of rhizobial strains isolated from the endemic shrubby legume Chamaecytisus albidus grown in soils of three different agroforestry ecosystems representing arid and semi-arid forest areas in Morocco. The analysis of the rrs gene sequences from twenty-four representative strains selected after REP-PCR fingerprinting showed that all the strains belong to the genus Bradyrhizobium. Following multi-locus sequence analysis (MLSA) using the rrs, gyrB, recA, glnII, and rpoB housekeeping genes, five representative strains, CA20, CA61, CJ2, CB10, and CB61 were selected for further molecular studies.

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In the Moroccan Middle Atlas, the tailings rich in lead and other metal residues, in the abandoned Zaida mining district, represent a real threat to environment and the neighboring villages' inhabitants' health. In this semi-arid to arid area, phytostabilisation would be the best choice to limit the transfer of heavy metals to populations and groundwater. The aim of this work was to characterize the bacteria that nodulate Retama sphaerocarpa, spontaneous nitrogen fixing shrubby legume, native to the Zaida mining area, with great potential to develop for phytostabilisation.

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Out of 54 isolates from root nodules of the Moroccan-endemic Chamaecytisus albidus plants growing in soils from the Maamora cork oak forest, 44 isolates formed nodules when used to infect their original host plant. A phenotypic analysis showed the metabolic diversity of the strains that used different carbohydrates and amino acids as sole carbon and nitrogen sources. The isolates grew on media with pH values ranging from 6 to 8.

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The aim of this work was to characterize and identify some bacteria isolated from the root nodules of Retama monosperma grown in Sidi Boubker lead and zinc mine tailings. Very few root nodules were obtained on the root nodules of R. monosperma grown in these soils.

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In this work, we analyzed the diversity of seventy-six bacteria isolated from Pea and faba bean nodules in two regions of Morocco. The molecular diversity was realized using the analysis of the sequences of 16S rRNA and six housekeeping genes (recA, glnII, atpD, dnaK, rpoB and gyrB) and two symbiotic genes (nodA and nodC). The phylogeny of the 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that all strains belong to the genus Rhizobium, being related to the type strains of R.

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