Development of a cold resistant mutant of plant growth promoting Pseudomonas fluorescens and its functional characterization

A cold resistant mutant of plant growth promoting Pseudomonas fluorescens G RS(1), was isolated following N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) t reatment. The mutant was able to grow and promote root and shoot elongation of wheat both at 25 and 10 degrees C, a temperature at which the wild type was unable to proliferate and function. In an effort to determine the mech anistic basis for this behavior, it was observed that following growth at 1 0 degrees C, the mutant synthesized some new proteins. SDS-polyacrylamide g el electrophoresis of the protein synthesized by the mutant revealed the pr esence of one major protein with a molecular mass of 13.5 kDa. However, at this point the function of this protein in not known. (C) 1999 Elsevier Sci ence B.V. All rights reserved.