Diversity and differentiation among fluorescent pseudomonads in crop rhizospheres with whole-cell protein profiles

Fluorescent pseudomonads from rhizospheres of four different crops, grown under similar soil and climatic conditions were phenotypically characterized to differentiate them into biovars. In protein electrophenogram studies of relationships among fluorescent pseudomonads by UPGMA cluster analysis based on DICE similarity index, the isolates were mainly discerned into three major clusters representing four different biovars. The biovars generally matched the delineated phenotypic clusters with the exception of a strain belonging to biovar II. However, the isolates representing similar rhizospheres and geographic locations were generally distributed into different phenotypic clusters as influenced by factors yet to be determined. The studies reinstated the importance of whole-cell protein analyses in characterizing pseudomonads and assessing their diversity.