A novel strain LTYR-11ZT that exhibited multiple plant growth promoting (PGP) traits was isolated from the surface-sterilized leaves of Alhagi sparsifolia Shap. (Leguminosae), which reprsents one of the top drought tolerant plants in north-west China. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences and multilocus sequence analysis based on partial sequences of atpD, gyrB, infB and rpoB genes revealed that strain LTYR-11ZT was a member of the genus Pantoea, with Pantoea theicola NBRC 110557T and Pantoea intestinalis DSM 28113T as the closest phylogenetic relatives. The results of DNA–DNA hybridization, phenotypic tests and fatty acid analysis confirmed that strain LTYR-11ZT represents a novel species of the genus Pantoea, for which we propose the name Pantoea alhagi sp. nov. Confocal microscopy observation revealed that strain LTYR-11ZT effectively colonizes the rhizoplane of both Arabidopsis and wheat. Strain LTYR-11ZT was able to promote the growth of wheat enhancing its resistance to drought stress. Strain LTYR-11ZT led to increased accumulation of soluble sugars, decreased accumulation of proline and malondialdehyde (MDA), and decreased degradation of chlorophyll in leaves of drought-stressed wheat. Our findings will contribute to the development of a novel biotechnological agent to improve the adaptation of crop plants to drought in arid ecosystems.

A novel indole-3-acetic acid-producing bacterium, designated TEGT-2T, was isolated from the roots of Sinopodophyllum hexandrum collected from the Qinling Mountains in shaanxi province, northwestern China, and was subjected to a taxonomic study by using a polyphasic approach. Cells of strain TEGT-2T were Gram-stain-positive, strictly aerobic, endospore-forming rods and motile by means of peritrichous flagella. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain TEGT-2T was a member of the genus Paenibacillus, exhibiting the highest sequence similarity to Paenibacillus pectinilyticus KCTC 13222T (97.9 %), Paenibacillus frigoriresistens CCTCC AB 2011150T (97.3 %), Paenibacillus ferrarius CCTCC AB 2013369T (96.9 %) and Paenibacillus alginolyticus NBRC 15375T (96.5 %). The only menaquinone detected was MK-7, and the major fatty acid was anteiso-C15 : 0. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, two unidentified aminophospholipids, two unidentified phospholipids, an unidentified aminolipid and two unidentified lipids. meso-Diaminopimelic acid was detected in the peptidoglycan. The DNA G+C content was 46.6 mol%. DNA-DNA relatedness values for strain TEGT-2T with respect to its closest phylogenetic relatives Paenibacilluspectinilyticus KCTC 13222T and Paenibacillus. frigoriresistens CCTCC AB 2011150T were lower than 40 %. Based on the phenotypic, phylogenetic and genotypic data, strain TEGT-2T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Paenibacillus, for which the name Paenibacillus qinlingensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TEGT-2T (=CCTCC AB 2015258T=KCTC 33806T).

A yellow-pigmented bacterium, designated strain ZFGT-11 T , was isolated from roots of Geum aleppicum Jacq. collected from Taibai Mountain in Shaanxi Province, north-west China, and was subjected to a taxonomic study by using a polyphasic approach. Cells of strain ZFGT-11 T were Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic rods that were surrounded by a thick capsule and were motile by means of a single polar flagellum. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain ZFGT-11 T was a member of the genus Sphingomonas and was closely related to Sphingomonas naasensis KACC 16534 T (97.6 % similarity), Sphingomonas kyeonggiense JCM 18825 T (96.8 %), Sphingomonas asaccharolytica IFO 15499 T (96.7 %) and Sphingomonas leidyi DSM 4733 T (96.6 %). The predominant respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-10 (Q-10) and the major cellular fatty acids were summed feature 8 (comprising C 18 : 1 v7c and/or C 18 : 1 v6c), C 17 : 1 v6c, C 14 : 0 2-OH, C 16 : 0 and C 15 : 0 2-OH. The major polyamine of strain ZFGT-11 T was sym-homospermidine. Phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, sphingoglycolipid, two unidentified aminoglycolipids, two unidentified phospholipids and two unidentified lipids were detected in the polar lipid profile. The DNA G+C content was 66.8 mol%. DNA-DNA relatedness for strain ZFGT-11 T with respect to its closest phylogenetic relative S. naasensis KACC 16534 T was 26.2±4.8 % (mean±SD). On the basis of data from the present polyphasic taxonomic study, strain ZFGT-11 T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Sphingomonas, for which the name Sphingomonas gei sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is

A yellow-pigmented bacterium, designated strain GZJT-2 T , was isolated from the stem ofHylomecon japonica (Thunb.) Prantl et Kü ndig collected from Taibai Mountain in Shaanxi Province, north-west China. Cells of strain GZJT-2 T were Gram-reaction-negative, strictly aerobic, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming and non-motile. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain GZJT-2 T was a member of the genus Sphingomonas, with sequence similarities of 92.1-96.9 % to type strains of recognized species of the genus Sphingomonas (92.1 % to Sphingomonas oligoaromativorans SY-6 T and 96.9 % to Sphingomonas oligophenolica JCM 12082 T ). Strain GZJT-2 T contained ubiquinone-10 (Q-10)as the predominant respiratory quinone and sym-homospermidine as the major polyamine. The major cellular fatty acids were summed feature 8 (comprising C 18 : 1 v7c and/or C 18 : 1 v6c), summed feature 3 (comprising C 16 : 1 v7c and/or C 16 : 1 v6c), C 16 : 0 and C 14 : 0 2-OH. Phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, sphingoglycolipid, four unidentified phospholipids, an unidentified aminolipid and four unidentified lipids were detected in the polar lipid profile. The DNA G+C content was 62.5¡0.3 mol%. On the basis of data from phenotypic, phylogenetic and DNA-DNA relatedness studies, strain GZJT-2 T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Sphingomonas, for which the name Sphingomonas hylomeconis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is GZJT-2 T (5 CCTCC AB 2013304 T 5 KCTC 42739 T ).

A-to-I RNA editing is a new epigenetic phenomenon that is crucial for sexual reproduction in fungi. Deciphering cis -regulatory elements of A-to-I RNA editing can help us elucidate the editing mechanism and develop a model that accurately predicts RNA editing.

A Gram-stain-positive, strictly aerobic, rod-shaped, motile and endospore-forming bacterial strain, designated TEGR-3T, was isolated from the roots of Sinopodophyllum hexandrum collected from the Qinling Mountains in Shaanxi Province, China. Strain TEGR-3T produced siderophores and hydrolysed aesculin, starch and CM-cellulose. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain TEGR-3T was a member of the genus Paenibacillus, exhibiting the highest sequence similarity to Paenibacillus endophyticus LMG 27297T (97.3 %) and Paenibacillus castaneae DSM 19417T (97.3 %). MK-7 was the only menaquinone detected and anteiso-C15 : 0 and C16 : 0 were the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, two unidentified aminophospholipids, two unidentified phospholipids and an unidentified lipid. The cell-wall peptidoglycan contained meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid. The DNA G+C content was 45.2 mol%. DNA-DNA relatedness values for strain TEGR-3T with respect to its closest phylogenetic relatives Paenibacillus endophyticus LMG 27297T and Paenibacillus castaneae DSM 19417T were lower than 40 %. Based on the phenotypic, phylogenetic and genotypic data, strain TEGR-3T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Paenibacillus, for which the name Paenibacillus sinopodophylli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TEGR-3T (=CCTCC AB 2016047T=KCTC 33807T).

A yellow-pigmented bacterium, designated strain GZGR-4(T), was isolated from the root of Hylomecon japonica (Thunb.) Prantl et Kündig collected from Taibai Mountain in Shaanxi Province, north-west China. Cells of strain GZGR-4(T) were Gram-negative, rod-shaped, strictly aerobic, non-endospore-forming and non-motile. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain GZGR-4(T) is a member of the genus Sphingobium, exhibiting the highest sequence similarity to Sphingobium aromaticiconvertens DSM 12677(T) (97.3 %). 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities between strain GZGR-4(T) and the type strains of other Sphingobium species with validly published names ranged from 93.4-96.5 %. The predominant respiratory quinone of strain GZGR-4(T) was ubiquinone-10 (Q-10) and the major cellular fatty acids were summed feature 8 (comprising C18:1 ω7c and/or C18:1 ω6c), summed feature 3 (comprising C16:1 ω7c and/or C16:1 ω6c), C16:0 and C14:0 2-OH. Spermidine was the major polyamine. The polar lipid profile consisted of phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, sphingoglycolipid, one unidentified phosphoglycolipid, one unidentified phospholipid, one unidentified aminolipid and one unidentified lipid. The DNA G+C content was 63.6 mol%. DNA-DNA relatedness for strain GZGR-4(T) with respect to its closest phylogenetic relative S. aromaticiconvertens DSM 12677(T) was 22.6 ± 5.3 %. On the basis of the polyphasic taxonomic data presented, strain GZGR-4(T) is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Sphingobium, for which the name Sphingobium endophyticus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is GZGR-4(T) (=CCTCC AB 2013305(T) = KCTC 32447(T)).

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