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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY logo International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology

Volume 75, Issue 4

sp. nov., a novel strain with plant growth-promoting properties Open Access

Abstract

A phosphate-solubilizing bacterial strain, designated C3, was isolated from the rhizosphere of sorghum. The taxonomic classification of this novel isolate was investigated by using a polyphasic approach. Cells of this strain were Gram-stain-negative, facultatively anaerobic and motile short rods with a polar flagellum. Phylogenetic analyses based on the 16S rRNA gene indicated that strain C3 showed high similarity (98.66%) to certain species, indicating that the isolate belongs to this genus. The genome of strain C3 was 5.05 Mb in size with a G+C content of 51.1 mol%. Whole-genome analysis revealed that the novel strain shared 21.60–27.10% digital DNA–DNA hybridization values and 78.35–83.87% average nucleotide identity with closely related species; both values below the accepted thresholds for defining a novel species. The predominant cellular fatty acids of strain C3 were C, summed feature 3 (C ω6c and/or C ω7c), summed feature 8 (C ω7c and/or C ω6c), summed feature 2 (C aldehyde and/or C 3OH and/or C iso I and/or an unidentified fatty acid of 10.9525 chain length) and C cyclo. Apart from the ability to solubilize phosphates, stain C3 exhibited other plant growth-promoting activities such as K, Ca and Si solubilization, and the production of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and siderophores. Several genes related to phosphate solubilization, siderophore biogenesis and IAA, cytokinin and gamma-aminobutyric acid production were identified in the C3 genome. Summarizing, based on phylogenetic, genomic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic criteria, the isolate represents a novel species of the genus for which the name sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is C3 (=CECT 31163=NCIMB 15596).

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Keyword(s): Pantoea phytostimulans , plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria and sorghum
Funding
This study was supported by the:
  • Probelte S.A.U. (Award 40011)
    • Principal Award Recipient: AntonioSánchez-Amat
© 2025 The Authors
  • This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.
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2025-04-25
2026-01-16

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Pantoea phytostimulans sp. nov., a novel strain with plant growth-promoting properties
Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 75, 006764 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.006764
/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/ijsem.0.006764
/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/ijsem.0.006764
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