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In the context of global warming, environmental forcing of wildfires on continental ecosystems is on a growing trend. Among other environmental impacts, wildfires can enhance trace metals concentration in freshwater systems. In this regard, chromium is of particular environmental and health concern because the temperature-induced oxidation of the less mobile and toxic Cr(III) form to the most mobile and toxic Cr(VI) one might represent a risk of freshwater pollution. The aim of the present study was to make a first assessment of this risk in New Caledonia by quantifying the influence of soil heating on Cr(VI) mobility in Cr-rich Ferralsols that cover about 1/3 of this French overseas territory. The results obtained indicated an enhanced Cr(VI) mobility upon soil heating from 200 °C, with a marked turnaround from 400 °C. Based on these results, a solid/solution mass balance approach allowed to confirm the risk of freshwater Cr(VI) pollution as a function of suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentration issued from burned Cr-rich Ferralsols. In addition, the results obtained revealed an apparent control of the Fe-oxides/silicates ratio on Cr(VI) mobility upon soil heating. Since this ratio decreases from the top to the bottom of ultramafic catchments, this latter result suggests that the risk of freshwater Cr(VI) pollution could depend on the actual location of the wildfires at the top or slope/base of these catchments. Since freshwaters represent the major water resource for the inhabitants of New Caledonia, these results point to the need for a larger evaluation of the risk of wildfires-induced freshwater Cr(VI) pollution at other catchments composed of Cr-bearing soils like Cambisols and Vertisols. At the larger scale, they also point to the need to foster studies aimed at better evaluating the risk of wildfires-induced freshwater Cr(VI) pollution at Cr-bearing pedological settings worldwide.

International audience; Nowadays, ecological restoration is considered the best solution for the rehabilitation of mining-degraded areas, particularly when it concerns valuable ecosystems. This is the case in New Caledonia, a hot spot of biodiversity, with 82% of endemic plant species in ultramafic soils. The use of topsoil to restore mined areas is an important practice. However, topsoil stockpiling can reduce soil fertility. We studied the evolution of different properties of two topsoils stored in 10 m height piles on mined areas, in order to characterize possible degradations. The effects of storage duration, depth, and topsoil origin were analyzed, focusing mainly on bacterial and fungal diversity assessed after bar-coded pyrosequencing, and expressed by operational taxonomic units (OTU). Microbial activity (carbon dioxyde production), arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) spore numbers, bulk density and different other physicochemical characteristics were also determined. The studied ultramafic soils were characterized by a relatively high microbial diversity with 45 bacterial phyla and 7 fungal phyla. Bacterial and fungal OTU numbers did not vary significantly after 12 months of storage, but the community structures of these groups were changed. AMF diversity was significantly reduced by the storage. Microbial activity, AMF spore numbers, soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, cation exchange capacity, and carbon to nitrogen ratio (C/N) decreased significantly starting from 3 to 9 months of topsoil storage. In contrast, soil bulk density and pH increased, and extractable concentrations of potentially toxic metals varied only slightly. All the changes induced by topsoil stockpiling in microbial population structure, AMF diversity, and other biotic and abiotic traits may negatively affect soil functions and create perturbations of the reconstructed ecosystems after revegetation. It is then necessary to reduce the storage of ultramafic topsoils as far as possible. In all cases, the stockpiling should not exceed six months before its use in ecosystem restoration. It is also recommended to reduce the height of the stockpiles, when possible, to 1 m or less to minimize the compaction and the anaerobiosis.

The ecological restoration of nickel mining-degraded areas in New Caledonia is strongly limited by low availability of soil mineral nutrients, metal toxicity, and slow growth rates of native plant species. In order to improve plant growth for restoration programs, special attention was paid to interactions between plant and soil microorganisms. In this study, we evaluated the influence of inoculation with Curtobacterium citreum BE isolated from a New Caledonian ultramafic soil on arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis and growth of Tetraria comosa, an endemic sedge used in restoration programs. A greenhouse experiment on ultramafic substrate was conducted with an inoculum comprising two arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) species isolated from New Caledonian ultramafic soils: Rhizophagus neocaledonicus and Claroideoglomus etunicatum. The effects on plant growth of the AMF and C. citreum BE inoculated separately were not significant, but their co-inoculation significantly enhanced the dry weight of T. comosa compared with the non-inoculated control. These differences were positively correlated with mycorrhizal colonization which was improved by C. citreum BE. Compared with the control, co-inoculated plants were characterized by better mineral nutrition, a higher Ca/Mg ratio, and lower metal translocation. However, for Ca/Mg ratio and metal translocation, there were no significant differences between the effects of AMF inoculation and co-inoculation.

In New Caledonia, one third of the main island is covered by ultramafic soils characterized by high levels of metals and low levels of plant nutrients. In these soils, metal tolerant bacteria may play a role in plant adaptation to the edaphic constraints. Recently, two new bacteria species belonging to the genus Burkholderia sensu lato were isolated from rhizospheric roots of pioneer plant growing in New Caledonian ultramafic soils and were able to tolerate high metal concentrations. The purpose of this study was to determine the major mechanisms by which these two bacteria were able to tolerate metals and if they were able to reduce metal absorption by plants from which they were isolated. Bioaccumulation, adsorption on cell surface, ability to form biofilm and production of exopolysaccharides were assessed. A focus was carried out on Ni, generally the most toxic metal in New Caledonian ultramafic soils. All experiments were performed in comparison with a reference strain isolated from a non-ultramafic habitat, Paraburkholderia caribensis MWAP64T. The two ultramafic bacterial species showed a high tolerance to Ni with a Ni–IC50 of 5 mM for Caballeronia novacaledonica STM10272T and 30 mM for Paraburkholderia ultramafica STM10279T, values significantly higher than those of P. caribensis MWAP64T (2 mM). The major mechanism involved in the bacterial Ni tolerance was related to biofilm formation for C. novacaledonica STM10272T and to acidic exopolysaccharide production for P. ultramafica STM10279T. Both species alleviated metal contents in roots of Tetraria comosa, an endemic pioneer herbaceous species growing on New Caledonian ultramafic soils.

The present study focused on the characterization of 10 Curtobacterium citreum strains isolated from the rhizosphere of pioneer plants growing on ultramafic soils from New Caledonia. Taxonomic status was investigated using a polyphasic approach. Three strains (BE, BB, and AM) were selected in terms of multiple-metal resistance and plant-growth-promoting traits. They were tested on sorghum growing on ultramafic soil and compared with the reference strain C. citreum DSM20528T. To better understand the bacterial mechanisms involved, biosorption, bioaccumulation, and biofilm formation were investigated for the representative strain of the ultramafic cluster (strain BE) versus C. citreum DSM20528T. The polyphasic approach confirmed that all native isolates belong to the same cluster and are C. citreum. The inoculation of sorghum with strains BE and BB significantly reduced Ni content in shoots compared with inoculation with C. citreum DSM20528T and control values. This result was related to the higher Ni tolerance of the ultramafic strains compared with C. citreum DSM20528T. Ni biosorption and bioaccumulation showed that BE exhibited a lower Ni content, which is explained by the ability of this strain to produce exopolysaccharides involved in Ni chelation. We suggested that ultramafic C. citreum strains are more adapted to this substrate than is C. citreum DSM20528T, and their features allow them to enhance plant metal tolerance.

Acacia spirorbis subsp. spirorbis Labill. is a widespread tree legume endemic to New Caledonia that grows in ultramafic (UF) and volcano-sedimentary (VS) soils. The aim of this study was to assess the symbiotic promiscuity of A. spirorbis with nodulating and nitrogen-fixing rhizobia in harsh edaphic conditions. Forty bacterial strains were isolated from root nodules and characterized through (i) multilocus sequence analyses, (ii) symbiotic efficiency and (iii) tolerance to metals. Notably, 32.5% of the rhizobia belonged to the Paraburkholderia genus and were only found in UF soils. The remaining 67.5%, isolated from both UF and VS soils, belonged to the Bradyrhizobium genus. Strains of the Paraburkholderia genus showed significantly higher nitrogen-fixing capacities than those of Bradyrhizobium genus. Strains of the two genera isolated from UF soils showed high metal tolerance and the respective genes occurred in 50% of strains. This is the first report of both alpha- and beta-rhizobia strains associated to an Acacia species adapted to UF and VS soils. Our findings suggest that A. spirorbis is an adaptive plant that establishes symbioses with whatever rhizobia is present in the soil, thus enabling the colonization of contrasted ecosystems.

Island biogeography theory is one of the most influential paradigms in ecology. That island characteristics, including remoteness, can profoundly modulate biological diversity has been borne out by studies of animals and plants. By contrast, the processes influencing microbial diversity in island systems remain largely undetermined. We sequenced arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal DNA from plant roots collected on 13 islands worldwide and compared AM fungal diversity on islands with existing data from mainland sites. AM fungal communities on islands (even those >6000 km from the closest mainland) comprised few endemic taxa and were as diverse as mainland communities. Thus, in contrast to patterns recorded among macro-organisms, efficient dispersal appears to outweigh the effects of taxogenesis and extinction in regulating AM fungal diversity on islands. Nonetheless, AM fungal communities on more distant islands comprised a higher proportion of previously cultured and large-spored taxa, indicating that dispersal may be human-mediated or require tolerance of significant environmental stress, such as exposure to sunlight or high salinity. The processes driving large-scale patterns of microbial diversity are a key consideration for attempts to conserve and restore functioning ecosystems in this era of rapid global change.

This study aims to characterize the ectomycorrhizal (ECM) communities associated with Acacia spirorbis, a legume tree widely spread in New Caledonia that spontaneously grows on contrasted edaphic constraints, i.e. calcareous, ferralitic and volcano-sedimentary soils. Soil geochemical parameters and diversity of ECM communities were assessed in 12 sites representative of the three mains categories of soils. The ectomycorrhizal status of Acacia spirorbis was confirmed in all studied soils, with a fungal community dominated at 92% by Basidiomycota, mostly represented by/tomentella-thelephora (27.6%), /boletus (15.8%), /sebacina (10.5%), /russula-lactarius (10.5%) and /pisolithus-scleroderma (7.9%) lineages. The diversity and the proportion of the ECM lineages were similar for the ferralitic and volcano-sedimentary soils but significantly different for the calcareous soils. These differences in the distribution of the ECM communities were statistically correlated with pH, Ca, P and Al in the calcareous soils and with Co in the ferralitic soils. Altogether, these data suggest a high capacity of A. spirorbis to form ECM symbioses with a large spectrum of fungi regardless the soil categories with contrasted edaphic parameters.

Acacia spirorbis subsp. spirorbis Labill. is a legume tree that grows on calcareous, metalliferous and siliceous soils and is endemic to New Caledonia. The present study assesses the nitrogen-fixing potential of A. spirorbis in its contrasted natural environments. Soil samples, the leaves of A. spirorbis and of co-occurring non-N2-fixing reference plant species were collected from nine study sites across New Caledonia. Soil properties were analyzed by ICP-AES. Nitrogen (N) content and natural 15N abundance (δ15N) were measured in A. spirorbis and in reference plants. The percentage of N derived from the atmosphere (%Ndfa) fixed by A. spirorbis was also assessed and correlated with soil parameters. Remarkably, mean N contents in A. spirorbis showed no significant differences whatever the soil categories (20.2 ± 3.5 g kg−1) whereas major differences were found in N contents in the reference plants. The average δ15N value of A. spirorbis was close to zero (+0.29‰), while that of the reference species ranged from −4.83 to +7.05‰. In eight of the nine sites studied, A. spirorbis %Ndfa was above 70%, regardless of the soil category. Unlike in the reference species, no statistical correlations were found between A. spirorbis N content and δ15N abundance and soil parameters. Despite the difficulty of using the δ15N abundance method in such contrasted environments, the resulting data show that A. spirorbis has the highest N2-fixing potential yet recorded in the genus Acacia and its nitrogen fixation is effective almost throughout its natural range.

New Caledonian serpentine (ultramafic) soils contain high levels of toxic heavy metals, in particular nickel, (up to 20 g kg−1) and are deficient in essential elements like carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus while having a high magnesium/calcium ratio. Although previous studies showed that ectomycorrhizal symbioses could play an important role in the adaptation of the endemic plants to ultramafic soils (FEMS Microbiol Ecol 72:238–49, 2010), none of them have compared the diversity of microbial communities from ultramafic vs non-ultramafic soils in New Caledonia. We explored the impact of edaphic characteristics on the diversity of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi associated with different endemic species of Tristaniopsis (Myrtaceae) growing under contrasting soil conditions in the natural ecosystems of New Caledonia. ECM root tips were thus sampled from two different ultramafic sites (Koniambo massif and Desmazures forest) vs two volcano-sedimentary ones (Arama and Mont Ninndo). The molecular characterization of the ECM fungi through partial sequencing of the ITS rRNA gene revealed the presence of different dominant fungal genera including, both soil types combined, Cortinarius (36.1%), Pisolithus (18.5%), Russula (13.4%), Heliotales (8.2%) and Boletellus (7.2%). A high diversity of ECM taxa associated with Tristaniopsis species was found in both ultramafic and volcano-sedimentary soils but no significant differences in ECM genera distribution were observed between both soil types. No link could be established between the phylogenetic clustering of ECM taxa and their soil type origin, thus suggesting a possible functional—rather than taxonomical—adaptation of ECM fungal communities to ultramafic soils.

The taxonomic status of eleven rhizospheric bacterial strains belonging to the genus Burkholderia and isolated from roots of Costularia (Cyperaceae), tropical herbaceous pioneer plants growing on ultramafic soils in New Caledonia, was investigated using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. The genetic analyses (16S rRNA genes, gyrB, recA, nreB and cnr) confirmed that all strains are Burkholderia and cluster into two separated groups. The DNA hybridization results showed low relatedness values to the closest relatives Burkholderia species. The phenotypic analyses confirmed that the two groups of strains could be differentiated from each other and from other known Burkholderia species. This polyphasic study revealed that these two groups of strains represent each a novel species of Burkholderia, for which the names Burkholderia novacaledonica sp. nov. (type strain STM10272(T)=LMG28615(T)=CIP110887(T)) and B. ultramafica sp. nov. (type strain STM10279(T)=LMG28614(T)=CIP110886(T)) are proposed, respectively. These strains of Burkholderia presented specific ecological traits such as the tolerance to the extreme edaphic constraints of ultramafic soils: they grew at pH between 4 and 8 and tolerate the strong unbalanced Ca/Mg ratio (1/19) and the high concentrations of heavy metals i.e. Co, Cr, Mn and Ni. Noteworthy B. ultramafica tolerated nickel until 10mM and B. novacaledonica up to 5mM. The presence of the nickel (nreB) and cobalt/nickel (cnr) resistance determinants encoding for protein involved in metal tolerance was found in all strains of both groups. Moreover, most of the strains were able to produce plant growth promoting molecules (ACC, IAA, NH3 and siderophores). Such ecological traits suggest that these new species of Burkholderia might be environmentally adaptable plant-associated bacteria and beneficial to plants.

Microbial species richness and assemblages across ultramafic ecosystems were investigated to assess the relationship between their distributional patterns and environmental traits. The structure of microorganism communities in the Koniambo massif, New Caledonia, was investigated using a metagenetic approach correlated with edaphic and floristic factors. Vegetation cover and soil properties significantly shaped the large phylogenetic distribution of operational taxonomic unit within microbial populations, with a mean per habitat of 3,477 (± 317) for bacteria and 712 (± 43) for fungi. Using variance partitioning, we showed that the effect of aboveground vegetation was the most significant descriptor for both bacterial and fungal communities. The floristic significant predictors explained 43% of the variation both for the bacterial and fungal community structures, while the edaphic significant predictors explained only 32% and 31% of these variations, respectively. These results confirm the previous hypothesis, that the distribution of microorganisms was more structured by the vegetation cover rather than the edaphic characteristics and that microbial diversity is not limited in ultramafic ecosystems.

Metal-rich soils, especially heavy metal-polluted soils and ultramafic soils, are generally toxic to non-adapted plants and microorganisms. The role of mycorrhizal fungi in the metal tolerance of adapted plant species has become clear in the last decade. This review aims to synthesize the findings of representative studies of the effects of mycorrhizas on the alleviation of heavy metal toxicity on plants and on the absorption/accumulation of heavy metals in their roots and shoots. The adaptation to heavy metals by mycorrhizal symbionts is associated with their efficiency in metal-rich soils. More than 80 % of the studies have indicated a positive role of mycorrhizal fungi in the adaptation of plants to heavy metals in these soils, but the relationships between plant tolerance to heavy metals and the absorption of metals are complex and depend on a range of biological, physical and chemical factors.

Rhizosphere bacteria were isolated from Costularia spp., pioneer sedges from ultramafic soils in New Caledonia, which is a hotspot of biodiversity in the South Pacific. Genus identification, ability to tolerate edaphic constraints, and plant-growth-promoting (PGP) properties were analysed. We found that 105colony-forming units per gram of root were dominated by Proteobacteria (69%) and comprised 21 genera, including Burkholderia (28%), Curtobacterium (15%), Bradyrhizobium (9%), Sphingomonas (8%), Rhizobium (7%), and Bacillus (5%). High proportions of bacteria tolerated many elements of the extreme edaphic conditions: 82% tolerated 100 μmol·L–1chromium, 70% 1 mmol·L–1nickel, 63% 10 mmol·L–1manganese, 24% 1 mmol·L–1cobalt, and 42% an unbalanced calcium/magnesium ratio (1/16). These strains also exhibited multiple PGP properties, including the ability to produce ammonia (65%), indole-3-acetic acid (60%), siderophores (52%), and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase (39%); as well as the capacity to solubilize phosphates (19%). The best-performing strains were inoculated with Sorghum sp. grown on ultramafic substrate. Three strains significantly enhanced the shoot biomass by up to 33%. The most successful strains influenced plant nutrition through the mobilization of metals in roots and a reduction of metal transfer to shoots. These results suggest a key role of these bacteria in plant growth, nutrition, and adaptation to the ultramafic constraints.

International audience; The complete and assembled genome sequences were determined for six strains of the alphaproteobacterial genus Methylobacterium, chosen for their key adaptations to different plant-associated niches and environmental constraints.

Some legume species of the Crotalaria genus are specifically nodulated by methylotrophic bacteria belonging to the Methylobacterium nodulans species. The feature of this symbiotic bacterium is its ability to oxidize methanol, a property based on the presence of a methanol dehydrogenase enzyme. Despite a good knowledge of this property and its implication in symbiosis, the molecular dialogue between M. nodulans and crotalaria podocarpa leading to symbiosis is largely unknown, except the presence of a nodA nodulation gene in the genome of M. nodulans ORS 2060. To investigate if M. nodulans ORS 2060 produces Nod factors, molecules considered as the major bacteria-to-plant signals essential for the establishment of rhizobia–legume symbiosis, we identified and sequenced a nodDABCUIJHQ cluster from a genomic library of ORS 2060. Phylogenetic analyses of nod genes revealed that M. nodulans ORS 2060 form a branch together with Burkholderia tuberum STM678 and a strain of Methylobacterium sp. (4-46) isolated from Lotononis , and distinct from all the other rhizobia. To analyse the regulation of ORS 2060 nod genes, we constructed a nodA–LacZ promoter fusion to monitor the nod gene expression with various flavonoids. The flavone apigenin was found to be the strongest inducer of nod gene expression in M. nodulans ORS 2060. This latter flavonoid was used to induce ORS 2060, and Nod factors were purified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and further characterized by mass spectrometry. One major Nod factor structure was identified as a pentamer of chitin substituted by C18:1 or C16:0 acyl chains on the non-reducing end and 6-O-sulphated on the other end, suggesting a classic symbiotic dialogue between M. nodulans and C. podocarpa .

Some rare leguminous plants of the genus Crotalaria are specifically nodulated by the methylotrophic bacterium Methylobacterium nodulans. In this study, the expression and role of bacterial methylotrophy were investigated during symbiosis between M. nodulans, strain ORS 2060T, and its host legume, Crotalaria podocarpa. Using lacZ fusion to the mxaF gene, we showed that the methylotroph genes are expressed in the root nodules, suggesting methylotrophic activity during symbiosis. In addition, loss of the bacterial methylotrophic function significantly affected plant development. Indeed, inoculation of M. nodulans nonmethylotroph mutants in C. podocarpa decreased the total root nodule number per plant up to 60%, decreased the whole-plant nitrogen fixation capacity up to 42%, and reduced the total dry plant biomass up to 46% compared with the wild-type strain. In contrast, inoculation of the legume C. podocarpa with nonmethylotrophic mutants complemented with functional mxa genes restored the symbiotic wild phenotype. These results demonstrate the key role of methylotrophy during symbiosis between M. nodulans and C. podocarpa.

Abstract An aqueous extract from leaves of Crotalaria virgulata subsp. grantiana was assayed for its effects on second-stage juveniles of Meloidogyne incognita. The biological activity was nematostatic; nematodes were not killed but were completely paralysed in a 1 mg/ml (w/v) extract: the LD50 equivalent was estimated to be 0.5 mg/ml. The effect was reversible: juveniles previously paralysed by C. grantiana extract recovered complete mobility in water and were able to infest a susceptible tomato plant. Freeze-dried aqueous extract from C. grantiana leaves added to a sterile sandy substrate at 1 mg/ml protected susceptible tomato plants from M. incognita infestation. This suggests a promising use of C. grantiana as both a green manure and natural alternative to synthetic chemicals in nematode population control, especially in integrated pest management for vegetable crops in organic agriculture of tropical and temperate areas.

Data on 72 non-pigmented bacterial strains that specifically induce nitrogen-fixing root nodules on the legume species Crotalaria glaucoides, Crotalaria perrottetii and Crotalaria podocarpa are reviewed. By SDS-PAGE analysis of total protein patterns and by 16S rRNA PCR-RFLP, these strains form a homogeneous group that is separate from other legume root-nodule-forming bacteria. The 16S rRNA gene-based phylogeny indicates that these bacteria belong to the genus Methylobacterium. They can grow on C1 compounds such as methanol, formate and formaldehyde but not methylamine as sole carbon source, and carry an mxaF gene, encoding methanol dehydrogenase, which supports their methylotrophic metabolism. Presence of a nodA nodulation gene, and ability to nodulate plants of Crotalaria species and to fix nitrogen are features that separate the strains currently included in this group from other members of the genus Methylobacterium. The present study includes additional genotypic and phenotypic characterization of this novel Methylobacterium species, i.e. nifH gene sequence, morphology, physiology, enzymic and carbon source assimilation tests and antibiotic resistance. The name Methylobacterium nodulans sp. nov. (type strain, ORS 2060T=CNCM I 2342T=LMG 21967T) is proposed for this group of root-nodule-forming bacteria.

The in vitro paralysis of second-stage juveniles of Meloidogyne incognita, M. javanica and M. mayaguensis by aqueous extracts of 15 West African Crotalaria species was analysed. A multivariate analysis distinguished four groups, based on their nematostatic activity: i) C. glaucoides extracts were not active; ii) the root extracts from C. goreensis, C. lathyroides and C. perrottetii were more active than the shoot extracts; iii) the shoot extracts from C. comosa and C. cylindrocarpa were more active than the root extracts; iv) both shoot and root extracts of C. atrorubens, C. barkae, C. grantiana, C. hyssopifolia, C. pallida, C. podocarpa, C. retusa, C. senegalensis and C. sphaerocarpa have nematostatic effects depending on either the Crotalaria species or plant tissue from which the extracts were derived. However, considering the greater biomass contribution of the leaves and stems compared to the roots when the plants are used as green manure, C. barkae, C. grantiana, C. pallida and C. podocarpa are the most efficient Crotalaria species, whatever the Meloidogyne species targeted.

International audience; Oral communication. Jourand P., Rapior S., Fargette M. et Mateille T. Nematostatic effects of a leaf extract from Crotalaria virgulata subsp. grantiana on Meloidogyne incognita and its use to protect tomato roots. Nematology, 6, 79-84 (2004a). Jourand P., Rapior S., Fargette M. et Mateille T. Nematostatic activity of aqueous extracts of West African Crotalaria species. Nematology, 6, 765-771 (2004b). JOURAND Philippe. Les Légumineuses du genre Crotalaria : symbiose fixatrice d’azote et activités biologiques contre les nématodes phytoparasites. - Doctorat de l'Université Montpellier II. Formation doctorale : développement et adaptation des plantes. Ecole doctorale : biologie intégrative. - Jury : B. Dreyfus (Co-directeur), S. Rapior (Co-directeur), M. Lebrun, B. Ollivier, P. Abad, G. Germani, T. Mateille. Rapporteurs : P. Abad, B. Ollivier.

Rhizobia described so far belong to three distinct phylogenetic branches within the α-2 subclass of Proteobacteria . Here we report the discovery of a fourth rhizobial branch involving bacteria of the Methylobacterium genus. Rhizobia isolated from Crotalaria legumes were assigned to a new species, “ Methylobacterium nodulans ,” within the Methylobacterium genus on the basis of 16S ribosomal DNA analyses. We demonstrated that these rhizobia facultatively grow on methanol, which is a characteristic of Methylobacterium spp. but a unique feature among rhizobia. Genes encoding two key enzymes of methylotrophy and nodulation, the mxaF gene, encoding the α subunit of the methanol dehydrogenase, and the nodA gene, encoding an acyltransferase involved in Nod factor biosynthesis, were sequenced for the type strain, ORS2060. Plant tests and nodA amplification assays showed that “ M. nodulans ” is the only nodulating Methylobacterium sp. identified so far. Phylogenetic sequence analysis showed that “ M. nodulans ” NodA is closely related to Bradyrhizobium NodA, suggesting that this gene was acquired by horizontal gene transfer.

With a body-size clinical setup in mind providing power to wireless and batteryless medical inspection capsules, a dedicated Class-E driver was designed, simulated and tested. With a supply of 50 V, a Vds of 500 V is generated driving a current through a 147 μH Helmholtz coil, thereby generating an alternating magnetic field at 1 MHz, sufficiently strong to drive a self propelled gastrointestinal inspection capsule. The volume in which capsule operation is guaranteed, is boosted (by a factor of 20 compared to previous work) to 0.18 m3, covering the complete upper body.