- Antibiotic Discovery
- Lichen Communities
- Mutualism between grasses, fungal endophytes, and PGP bacteria
- Grass phytobiome
Model for Tripartite Mutualism in the Tall Fescue Rhizosphere
Neotyphodium endophytes produce many secondary metabolites that support their relationship with their host plants. N-Formyll loline is an saturated 1-aminopyrrolizidine alkaloid that is broadly toxic to many insect herbivores of grasses. In some cases, the total concentration of NFL can exceed 2% of the dry weight of the grass. We found that certain bacterial epiphytes take advantage of the over abundance of NFL and use it as a nutrient source. In the phyllosphere (aerial surfaces of the plant), this results in increased fitness of those bacteria. Furthermore, those bacteria dominate the phyllosphere community.
Our work at SCSU is to investigate whether the phenomenon also occurs in the rhizosphere. Our experiments are based on examining the purpose of the fungus providing a nutrient source that only a few microbes can consume. Do these bacteria indeed dominate the rhizosphere community? Are they producing plant growth promoting compounds? Can they protect the host from pathogens?
Neotyphodium endophytes produce many secondary metabolites that support their relationship with their host plants. N-Formyll loline is an saturated 1-aminopyrrolizidine alkaloid that is broadly toxic to many insect herbivores of grasses. In some cases, the total concentration of NFL can exceed 2% of the dry weight of the grass. We found that certain bacterial epiphytes take advantage of the over abundance of NFL and use it as a nutrient source. In the phyllosphere (aerial surfaces of the plant), this results in increased fitness of those bacteria. Furthermore, those bacteria dominate the phyllosphere community.
Our work at SCSU is to investigate whether the phenomenon also occurs in the rhizosphere. Our experiments are based on examining the purpose of the fungus providing a nutrient source that only a few microbes can consume. Do these bacteria indeed dominate the rhizosphere community? Are they producing plant growth promoting compounds? Can they protect the host from pathogens?
*Image hand drawn by Jean-Marie Van Herdeen