Evaluation of the diversity of Paenibacillus polymyxa strains by using the DNA of bacteriophage IPy1 as a probe in hybridization experiments

Abstract

Aims: To evaluate the genetic diversity within the species Paenibacillus polymyxa. Methods: Southern hybridization was performed on 102 strains of P. polymyxa using DNA from the phage IPy1 as a probe. Results: All 102 strains hybridized to phage IPy1 DNA. Data from different hybridization patterns obtained were used to construct a dendrogram in which 53 genotypic groups were split into two main clusters. One cluster contained strains from the rhizospheres of sorghum and maize planted in Cerrado soil, Brazil, and the majority of strains received from two culture collections. The other cluster contained strains isolated from different Brazilian soils and rhizospheres and strains deposited in a third culture collection. Significance and Impact of the Studies: The approach used in this study appears to be a new and a very useful tool to study the diversity within this species.