Distribution of Pink-pigmented Facultative Methylotrophs Isolated from the Leaves of Potato Grown in Different Regions of Japan

Seed tubers of potato (Solanum tuberosum) plants were grown in five locations in Japan: Hokkaido, Yamagata, Ibaraki, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki. One hundred colonies of pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs (PPFMs) were isolated from potato leaves at flowering time. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of isolates were determined, and clustering analysis (≥ 99% identity) identified 11 operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all OTUs were grouped in genus Methylobacterium. The OTU M9 was distributed among all five collection sites, and other OTUs were distributed among several collection sites. These data indicated that the distribution of PPFMs in the potato phyllosphere differed according to the plant’s geographical location.