Ensifer glycinis sp. nov., a rhizobial species associated with species of the genus Glycine.

Rhizobial strains from root nodules of Astragalus mongholicus and soybean (Glycine max) were characterized phylogenetically as members of the genus Ensifer (formerly named Sinorhizobium), based on 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons. Results based upon concatenated sequence analysis of three housekeeping genes (recA, atpD and glnII, ≤ 93.8 % similarities to known species) and average nucleotide identity (ANI) values of whole genome sequence comparisons (ranging from 89.6 % to 83.4 % to Ensifer fredii and Ensifer saheli, respectively) indicated the distinct positions of these novel strains within the genus Ensifer. Phylogeny of symbiotic genes (nodC and nifH) of three novel strains clustered them with rhizobial species Ensifer fredii and Ensifer sojae, both isolated from nodules of Glycine max. Cross-nodulation tests showed that the representative strain CCBAU 23380T could form root nodules with nitrogen fixation capability on Glycine soja, Albizia julibrissin, Vigna unguiculata and Cajanus cajan, but failed to nodulate Astragalus mongholicus, its original host legume. Strain CCBAU 23380T formed inefficient nodules on G. max, and it did not contain 18 : 0, 18 : 1ω7c 11-methyl or summed feature 1 fatty acids, which differed from other related strains. Failure to utilize malonic acid as a carbon source distinguished strain CCBAU 23380T from the type strains of related species. The genome size of CCBAU 23380T was 6.0 Mbp, comprising 5624 predicted genes with DNA G+C content of 62.4 mol%. Based on the results above, a novel species, Ensifer glycinis sp. nov., is proposed, with CCBAU 23380T (=LMG 29231T =HAMBI 3645T) as the type strain.