TGAC completed genome sequencing of beneficial soil bacterium

The Genome Analysis Centre (TGAC), together with the Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto (UNRC), Instituto de Agrobiotecnologica Rossario (INDEAR), and other European partners, have completed the genome sequence of a model strain of the soil bacterium Azospirillum brasilense to help improve farming productivity.

 

The soil bacterium, isolated from wheat roots in the central region of Argentina, has been used as a bio-fertiliser in agriculture during the last four decades. As the most-studied soil bacterium that encourages plant growth, Azospirillum brasilense is responsible for the major improvement of more than a hundred plant species' growth and yield productivity. One of the main characteristics of the Azospirillum bacterium that aids plant health is its ability to be able to produce plant-growth regulators. 

 

By sequencing the genome of the bacterium's model strain, Azospirillum brasilense(Az39), the potential mechanisms responsible for growth improvement can be unravelled.