Novel bacterial diversity recovered from the rhizosphere of oilseed rape (Brassica napus) determined by the analysis of 16S ribosomal DNA

Soil was sampled to a distance of 2.5 mm beneath a root mat of oilseed rape (Brassica napus) in a model rhizosphere system. DNA was extracted and the 16S rDNA amplified, cloned and sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis of these sequences with those held on-line, revealed that 37% of the clones fell within the Holophaga/Acidobacterium phylum, 17% were within the proteobacteria, 14% of the clones were close relatives of Bacillus megaterium and 5% were related to Verrucomicrobium spinosum. An additional eleven clones (21%) could not be assigned to any known phylum and may represent novel bacterial lineages. This study highlights the diverse nature of rhizosphere soils and reinforces the role that molecular approaches play in unravelling such diversity.