[Characterization of rhizobia causing nodules on leguminous trees native to Uruguay using the rep-PCR technique]

Methods for identifying and following microorganisms in the environment such as soils, water and plant association have been highly developed in recent years. In this study, we used rep-PCR for the characterization of Rhizobium bacteria isolated from legume trees native of Uruguay which permitted to follow them in plant inoculation assays. Among the primers used, ERIC and BOX1AR, the latter allowed the differentiation of isolates from different legumes and the finding of a high level of homology among rhizobia that nodulate the same legume species. Besides, it demonstrated that the profiles of the isolates recovered from nodules of Acacia caven, were identical to the ones used as inoculants; this confirmed the efficiency of these methods to follow these diazotrophs in the environment.