A multi-omic Nicotiana benthamiana resource for fundamental research and biotechnology.

Nicotiana benthamiana is an invaluable model plant and biotechnology platform with a ~3 Gb allotetraploid genome. To further improve its usefulness and versatility, we have produced high-quality chromosome-level genome assemblies, coupled with transcriptome, epigenome, microRNA and transposable element datasets, for the ubiquitously used LAB strain and a related wild accession, QLD. In addition, single nucleotide polymorphism maps have been produced for a further two laboratory strains and four wild accessions.

Plin-amiR, a pre-microRNA-based technology for controlling herbivorous insect pests.

The cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera, is a major insect pest for a wide range of agricultural crops. It causes significant yield loss through feeding damage and by increasing the crop's vulnerability to bacterial and fungal infections. Although expression of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins in transgenic crops has been very successful in protecting against insect pests, including H.

Mutations in Two Type VI Secretion Systems Cause Reduced Fitness in Interbacterial Competition.

is a highly effective microsymbiont of spp. and has also been shown to nodulate papilionoid legumes. was found to be highly competitive both in a natural environment as well as under controlled test conditions and is more competitive for nodulation over other α- and β-rhizobial strains in a variety of different plant hosts.

Competition Experiments for Legume Infection Identify as a Highly Competitive β-Rhizobium.

Members of the genus (β-proteobacteria) have only recently been shown to be able to establish a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with several legumes, which is why they are also referred to as β-rhizobia. Therefore, very little is known about the competitiveness of these species to nodulate different legume host plants. In this study, we tested the competitiveness of several type strains (, , , , and ) to nodulate four legumes (, , and ) under our closely defined growth conditions.

Alternative nitrogenase and pseudogenes: unique features of the Paenibacillus riograndensis nitrogen fixation system.

Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is a tightly regulated process that is carried out by diazotrophic microorganisms. The regulatory mechanisms of BNF-related genes are well characterized in Gram-negative models, but they are poorly understood in Gram-positive bacteria. Paenibacillus riograndensis SBR5(T) is a Gram-positive, endospore-forming facultative aerobic diazotroph.

Changes in root bacterial communities associated to two different development stages of canola (Brassica napus L. var oleifera) evaluated through next-generation sequencing technology.

Crop production may benefit from plant growth-promoting bacteria. The knowledge on bacterial communities is indispensable in agricultural systems that intend to apply beneficial bacteria to improve plant health and production of crops such as canola. In this work, the diversity of root bacterial communities associated to two different developmental phases of canola (Brassica napus L.

Relationship between in vitro enhanced nitrogenase activity of an Azospirillum brasilense Sp7 mutant and its growth-promoting activities in situ.

In this work, we further analyzed an Azospirillum brasilense Sp7 mutant (Sp7::Tn5-33) showing a pleiotrophic phenotype due to a Tn5 insertion into an open reading frame of 840 bp (orf280). The deduced amino acid sequence of this region has high similarity to a family of universal stress proteins. Because the most interesting property exhibited by the Sp7::Tn5-33 mutant was an enhanced in vitro nitrogen fixation activity, we addressed the question of whether it could benefit the host plant.