Chinese scientists find a novel endophytic actinobacterium

Scientists at Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences recently found a novel endophytic actinobacteriun species, isolated from Anabasis aphylla L., a low, branching semi-shrub growing in the saline and clayey deserts and semi-deserts of Southeast, Middle, and Central Asia.

Endophytic actinobacteria colonize the internal tissues of plants. These microbes form a beneficial relationship with their host by coevolution, which is very important for sustainable agriculture.

“This novel endophytic actinobacterium, designated strain EGI 6500139T, was isolated from the surface-sterilized roots of Anabasis aphylla L., collected from Xinjiang, northwest China, and subjected to polyphasic taxonomic characterization,” said ZHANG Yongguang, a researcher from XIEG, who led the study.

Phylogenetic analysis showed that strain EGI 6500139T fell within the clade of the genus Glycomyces, according to ZHANG. “Based on phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic data, strain EGI 6500139T represents a novel species of the genus Glycomyces, for which the name Glycomyces anabasis sp. nov. is proposed,” he said.

Endophytic actinobacteria can synthesize natural products with diversified biological activities, promote plant growth, and help their host resist biotic and abiotic stresses, such as pathogens,  drought and salt stresses.

The research was supported by the NSFC and Xinjiang joint funding cultivation project and the National Science Foundation for Young Scientists of China. Results of the study were published in International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, entitled “Glycomyces anabasis sp. nov., a novel endophytic actinobacterium isolated from roots of Anabasis aphylla L.”.