Investigation of bacterial community structure within the sweet potato phyllosphere using culture\|independent techniques
非培养方法解析北京地区甘薯叶际细菌的群落结构

Investigation of the variations in the bacterial community on sweet potato leaves over multiple time and space scales could provide important information to describe the identity and the ecology of leaf inhabitants. In this study, bacterial flora in the phyllosphere of sweet potato under field conditions was identified using polymerase chain reaction\|denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR\|DGGE) and phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis methods on June 15th, in Shunyi, Tongzhou, Changping and Yanqing, Beijing, China. Furthermore, the bacterial flora in the sweet potato phyllosphere in Tongzhou was investigated during the period of May\|August. PLFA assay indicated that bactieral poplulaition of the gram\|positive bacteria were found to be more than the gram\|negative bacteria in all samples. DGGE bands sequencing showed that Pseudomonas sp. was a persistent bacterium in all samples from different places; Bacillus sp., Acinetobacter sp., Weissella sp., Pantoea sp., Bradyrhizobium sp. and Enterococcus sp. were also detected as the dominant strains within sweet potato phyllosphere under different conditions.