The impact of transgenic white poplars (Populus alba L. cv. 'Villafranca') was assessed on the soil aerobic spore-forming bacteria (SFB). The genetically modified poplars, expressing either the StSy gene for resveratrol production or the bar gene for herbicide tolerance, were cultivated in greenhouse. The occurrence of SFB was monitored in soil samples collected at eight different timepoints over a two-year period. The total culturable bacterial population of the StSy and bar trials underwent significant seasonal fluctuations in the range of 10(6)-2.5 x 10(8) CFU/g dry soil and of 10(4)-5 x 10(8) CFU/g dry soil, respectively. Changes occurred also within the culturable SFB population with size varying at 10(3)-5 x 10(4) CFU/g dry soil and 10(2)-2 x 10(5) CFU/g dry soil in the StSy and bar trials, respectively. No significant differences in the size of the total and SFB culturable populations were observed when comparing each transgenic line with the nontransformed control line while seasonal shifts of soil bacterial populations were evident in both trials. The culturable SFB fraction included three isolates (SFB-1, SFB-2 and SFB-3) classified by 16S rDNA sequence analysis as members of the Bacillus genus. According to the reported data, cultivation of both herbicide-resistant and resveratrol-producing GM white poplars did not affect the culturable SFB population at the soil level.
- MeSH
- Aerobiosis MeSH
- Endospore-Forming Bacteria classification isolation & purification physiology MeSH
- DNA, Bacterial chemistry genetics MeSH
- Phylogeny MeSH
- Plants, Genetically Modified microbiology MeSH
- Molecular Sequence Data MeSH
- Colony Count, Microbial MeSH
- Populus microbiology MeSH
- Soil Microbiology * MeSH
- DNA, Ribosomal chemistry genetics MeSH
- RNA, Ribosomal, 16S genetics MeSH
- Seasons MeSH
- Sequence Analysis, DNA MeSH
- Cluster Analysis MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- Names of Substances
- DNA, Bacterial MeSH
- DNA, Ribosomal MeSH
- RNA, Ribosomal, 16S MeSH
