Microorganisms and their use in agriculture
A strain of Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus (Gd) characterised by the presence of at least one nucleic acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NOS 1-10 or variants or paralogues thereof and/or the presence of a single plasmid of about 17566 bp in size. Such strains, exemplified by IMI504853, are useful in agriculture, in particular as they are able to colonise plants intracellularly.
1. A strain of Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus (Gd) comprising nucleic acid encoding one or more expression products encoded by SEQ ID NOS 1 to 10 and a plasmid that is less than 27455 bp in size.
2. The strain of Gd according to claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid encodes at least three of said expression products.
3. The strain of Gd according to claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid encodes at least five of said expression products.
4. The strain of Gd according to claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid encodes all of said expression products.
5. The strain of Gd according to claim 1 , which comprises one or more sequences with at least 90% sequence identity to any of SEQ ID NOS 1 to 10.
6. The strain of Gd according to claim 1 , which comprises at least one of SEQ ID NOS 1 to 10.
7. The strain of Gd according to claim 1 , which comprises at least three of SEQ ID NOS 1 to 10.
8. The strain of Gd according to claim 1 , which comprises at east five of SEQ ID NOS 1 to 10.
9. The strain of Gd according to claim 1 , which comprises all of SEQ ID NOS 1 to 10.
10. The strain of Gd according to claim 1 , wherein the plasmid is in the range of 17.5 to 17.6 kbp in size.
11. The strain of Gd according to claim 1 , wherein the plasmid is about 17566 bp in size.
12. A composition comprising the strain of Gd according to claim 1 and at least one agriculturally acceptable carrier.
13. The composition according to claim 12 , which is suitable for coating a seed.
14. A seed having a coating thereon, wherein the coating comprises the strain of Gd according to claim 1 .
15. A plant or seed comprising the strain of Gd according to claim 1 .
16. The plant or seed according to claim 15 , wherein the strain of Gd is located intracellularly within.
17. A method for producing a plant product, the method comprising growing the plant or seed according to claim 15 and obtaining the plant product therefrom.
18. A method for enhancing the nitrogen-fixing ability of a plant, said method comprising applying the strain of Gd according to claim 1 to the plant, an environment around the plant, or a seed that gives rise to the plant, such that the strain of Gd colonizes the plant.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the strain is applied to a wound of the plant, a growth medium of the plant, or the surface of the seed.
20. A strain of Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus (Gd) deposited with CABI in the United Kingdom under the Budapest Treaty with deposit accession number IMI 504958.