Ensifer meliloti elite strain U143 used as alfalfa inoculant in Uruguay: Characterization and draft genome sequence.
ABSTRACT.- Ensifer (syn. Sinorhizobium) meliloti U143 is an effective nitrogen-fixing strain isolated from Uruguayan soils. For decades, this strain has been used as an inoculant for different alfalfa cultivars. Here we report for the first time a characterization of the U143 elite strain that includes the preliminary genomic sequence, its annotation, and physiological parameters related to its symbiotic efficiency and nitrate respiration capacity. Through Illumina sequencing, the genome of the U143 strain was sequenced.