Isolation from root and shoot surfaces of agglutinins that show specificity for saprophytic Pseudomonads

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Washes of healthy intact roots and shoots of the bean Phaseolus vulgaris caused agglutination of cells of certain saprophytic pseudomonads, notably P. putida isolates. The agglutinin structures in the root and shoot washes were high molecular weight, heat-stable complexes of carbohydrate and protein which required Mg2+ for activity. The ratios of the predominant neutral sugar components, galactose and arabinose, differ in root and shoot agglutinin preparations. Cells of bacteria classified as P. putida were agglutinated to a greater extent than cells of P. fluorescens and P. aeruginosa. Some of the bacterial isolates agglutinated by the plant surface structures were beneficial to plant growth.