Evaluation of Nitrogenase Genes as Markers in Soil Microbial Community Studies

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dc.contributor.advisorHahn, Dittmar
dc.contributor.authorWelsh, Allana Kayen_US
dc.contributor.committeeMemberForstner, Michael R.
dc.contributor.committeeMemberMcLean, Robert J. C.
dc.contributor.committeeMemberKaplan, Heidi
dc.contributor.committeeMemberDawson, Jeffrey O.
dc.date.accessioned2010-09-09T17:52:35Z
dc.date.available2012-02-24T10:09:13Z
dc.date.issued2009-08en_US
dc.description.abstractMolecular tools were developed to overcome some of the constraints to analyzing nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the environment. Two distinct plant-microbe systems were used to develop these tools, and to evaluate their utility and flexibility. The first system focused on nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the rhizosphere of salt-meadow grass (Spartina patens), a key plant species in high salt marshes. Members of the ɛ-subdivision of Proteobacteria were shown to be prominent nitrogen-fixers in this system, with specific populations changing seasonally and in response to the presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. The second system involved nitrogen-fixing bacteria of the genus Frankia that form root-nodules in symbiosis with certain woody plants. The diversity of nodule-forming frankiae was assessed in soils from 5 continents, and in natural populations in root nodules of alder trees growing on 3 different mountain tops in central and southern Arizona. Specific difficulties in the development of molecular tools in these two systems were discussed. These studies provided significant databases for specific target sequences, i.e., the nifH gene, for both uncultured nitrogen-fixing members of the ɛ-subdivision of Proteobacteria and cultured and uncultured frankiae, and baseline data that demonstrated the usefulness of the molecular tools for studies on the ecology of both nitrogen-fixing members of the ɛ-subdivision of Proteobacteria and Frankia populations.en_US
dc.description.departmentBiology
dc.formatText
dc.format.extent166 pages
dc.format.medium1 file (.pdf)
dc.identifier.citationWelsh, A. K. (2009). <i>Evaluation of nitrogenase genes as markers in soil microbial community studies</i> (Unpublished dissertation). Texas State University-San Marcos, San Marcos, Texas.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10877/3135
dc.language.isoen
dc.subjectNitrogen-fixing bacteriaen_US
dc.subjectDiversityen_US
dc.subjectRhizosphereen_US
dc.subjectFrankiaen_US
dc.subjectMicrobiologyen_US
dc.subjectNifH geneen_US
dc.subject.classificationBiology, generalen_US
dc.titleEvaluation of Nitrogenase Genes as Markers in Soil Microbial Community Studiesen_US
dc.typeDissertation
thesis.degree.departmentBiology
thesis.degree.disciplineBiology
thesis.degree.grantorTexas State University-San Marcos
thesis.degree.levelDoctoral
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophy

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