Application Guide - QIAxcel Advanced

78 QIAxcel Advanced Application Guide 10/2016 ERIC-PCR fingerprinting of indigenous Sinorhizobium meliloti strains Katarina Huić Babić1 and Mirjana Kozulić2 1 Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Croatia 2 QIAGEN Instruments AG, Hombrechtikon, Switzerland The QIAxcel® system was successfully used to identify and analyze DNA fingerprints of Sinorhizobium strains. Analysis using the QIAxcel system involved significantly shorter handling and running times compared to conventional methods, providing an effective, reproducible, and time-saving method for determining genetic diversity in bacteria. Introduction Upon infection with rhizobial bacteria, nitrogen-fixing nodules are formed in the roots of legumes. It is a common agricultural practice to inoculate leguminous seeds with nitrogen fixing bacteria such as Sinorhizobium meliloti to enhance root nodulation and, subsequently, nitrogen uptake of the plant. Individual strains of S. meliloti, however, vary in their symbiotic effectiveness (1). Commercially available inoculants often fail to establish nodules when indigenous rhizobial populations are already present (2). The selection of highly competitive strains is essential for effective inoculation (3, 4). Indigenous S. meliloti strains from different field sites in Croatia were analyzed (4). DNA fingerprints of the enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC) sequences (5) were established to assess the genetic diversity of the isolates, as well as to establish their relationship to natural populations. The results of the study provided information about nodulation and symbiotic efficiency of individual S. meliloti strains (4). The QIAxcel System.

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