Novel method for identifying bacterial mutants with reduced epiphytic fitness
- Univ. of California, Berkeley (United States)
Leaf surfaces are a habitat for large population of diverse bacteria which, in turn, can have numerous effects on the plants on which they live. Such bacteria are considered distinct from other plant-associated bacteria and have probably acquired adaptations which allow them to tolerate the physical and chemical environments found on leaves. Some bacterial traits, such as motility or UV irradiation tolerance, are unambiguously important in epiphytic fitness. However, novel traits may condition bacterial growth or survival on leaves. The author of this study has adapted a tube ice nucleation assay to allow differentiation of mutants of an ice nucleation-active bacterial strain that colonizes leave. The study describes a technique for rapid identification of bacterial mutants with quantitatively different population sized in a natural habitat based on the measurement of ice nucleus production. 41 refs., 6 figs., 2 tabs.
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG03-86ER13518
- OSTI ID:
- 6438741
- Journal Information:
- Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (United States), Vol. 59:5; ISSN 0099-2240
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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