Complete Genomic Structure of the Cultivated Jatropha Endophyte Methylobacterium sp. L2-4. Methylobacterium sp. L2-4

Jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.) is a hardy non-edible oil-seed plant that can sustain harsh environments, adapt well to semi-arid marginal, and wastelands and hence has been treated as a potential alternative energy. The plant growth promoting N-fixer can improve the growth of Jatropha on N-limiting soils (>40%). This prompted us to sequence the genome of these strains and, via comparative genomics, identify functions essential for the successful colonization, biological nitrogen fixation and endophytic association with its Jatropha host under N-limiting conditions. Analysis of the genome sequence, combined with metabolite analysis and quantitative PCR, pointed to a remarkable interaction between N-fixer and its Jatropha host with the endophyte responsible for the production of a phytohormone, and a precursor for another that Jatropha is unable to synthesize, and where the production of the plant growth promoting compounds depended on the presence of plant synthesized compounds, such as sucrose, in the growth medium. Our results provide the basis to better understanding the synergistic interactions between Jatropha and N-fixer. This information can be further exploited to improve establishment and sustainable production of Jatropha on N-limiting soils using endophytic Methylobacterium as growth promoting agents.