Abstract Detail

Symbioses: Plant, Animal, and Microbe Interactions

Avila, Adam [1], Waselkov, Katherine [2], Constable, John [3].

Investigating bacterial endophytes in parasitic Cuscuta campestris and its Helianthus annuus host.

A diverse community of microorganisms colonizes plant surfaces. These microorganisms can colonize the external leaf surface (the phyllosphere), the external root surface (the rhizosphere), and the plant interior (the endosphere). Microorganisms existing internally, called endophytes, can have symbiotic, commensal, or pathogenic relationships with their host plant. Our prior work has demonstrated a consistent endophyte community in leaf and petal tissue of the common sunflower (Helianthus annuus), which is dominated by the phyla Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria, and classes Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria. The endophyte community in parasitic plants and how it affects the composition of the host endophyte community has not been described. We are examining the endophyte community structures of H. annuus, the holoparasite Cuscuta campestris (dodder), and their interaction to build an understanding of microbiota diversity in each species. We also intend to assess possible changes in host microbiota resulting from a dodder infection. Our goals are to (i) isolate/identify endophytic bacteria in the parasitic plant C. campestris and a host, H. annuus; and (ii) examine changes in the H. annuus endophyte community resulting from dodder infection. Fifteen samples of dodder tissue, dodder-infected and non-infected H. annuus stem and leaf tissue were field collected in Central California. All tissues were surface washed to minimize phyllospheric bacteria; complete surface sterilization was verified by plating the final water rinse on 1/10 trypticase soy agar. DNA was extracted by grinding plant tissue in liquid nitrogen and will be amplified with chloroplast-excluding 16S primers due to the primer’s affinity for non-target DNA. Both chloroplast plastids and mitochondrial DNA have been shown to pose challenges to the amplification process. Endophyte PCR products will be isolated, sequenced (MiSeq platform) and analyzed using the QIIME2 pipeline. The identification and assessment of specific endophytes and their community structure in both host and parasite has the potential to provide insight into the development of effective control strategies for C. campestris infestations in agricultural crops worldwide.

1 - 35 Heritage Ave, Clovis, CA, 93619, United States
2 - California State University, Fresno, Biology Department, M/S SB73, 2555 E. San Ramon Ave., Science 1, Fresno, CA, 93740, United States
3 - Department Of Biology, 2555 E. San Ramon Ave M/S Sb73, Fresno, CA, 93740, United States

Keywords:
plants
endophytes
parasite
Sunflower
Dodder
Helianthus
Cuscuta.

Presentation Type: Poster
Session: P, Symbioses: Plant, Animal, and Microbe Interactions Posters
Location: Arizona Ballroom/Starr Pass
Date: Monday, July 29th, 2019
Time: 5:30 PM This poster will be presented at 5:30 pm. The Poster Session runs from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm. Posters with odd poster numbers are presented at 5:30 pm, and posters with even poster numbers are presented at 6:15 pm.
Number: PSM001
Abstract ID:270
Candidate for Awards:None