Research Starter Grant: Investigating the impacts of loline catabolizing bacteria on fitness of their tall fescue host

研究启动资助：调查黑麦草分解代谢细菌对其高羊茅宿主健康的影响

• 批准号: 1237624
• 负责人: Elizabeth Roberts
• 金额: $ 5万
• 依托单位: Southern Connecticut State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-07-01 至 2013-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1237624&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Research; Starter; Grant; Investigating; impacts

Loline alkaloids are made by the endophytic fungus Neotyphodium sp. as part of a symbiotic relationship to keep insect herbivores from consuming their tall fescue host. Previous research has indicated that some epiphytic bacterial colonizers of tall fescue can use these alkaloids as a sole carbon source. Such bacteria grow to higher population sizes on loline containing grasses than other bacterial strains. It is thought that a multi-trophic symbiosis is occurring on the grass phyllosphere between the loline catabolizing bacteria, the host, and the endophytic fungus. This project will test the potential positive impact of loline catabolizing bacterial epiphytes on growth of the host. The bacteria will be screened for production of the plant growth regulators, auxin and cytokinin, through growth assays, microscopy, and biochemistry. Additionally, the protective impacts of loline catabolizing bacteria on the host grasses will be investigated by screening them for the antimicrobial production. The ability of the bacteria to protect their hosts via niche exclusion will also be examined. A combination of culturing and biochemistry techniques will be conducted for these tests. Finally, the potential to take advantage of the affinity of loline catabolizing strains to Neotyphodium sp. harboring grasses for the bioremediation of the major pollutant Atrazine will be tested. The data collected from this work will have broad implications on the current scientific knowledge concerning microbe:microbe interactions. Potentially, this work may result in an efficient way to remove atrazine from the environment, which would generate safer ground water for future generations.

洛林生物碱是由内生真菌Neotyphodium sp.作为共生关系的一部分，以防止昆虫食草动物消耗其高羊茅宿主。已有研究表明高羊茅的某些附生细菌定殖者可以利用这些生物碱作为唯一碳源。这种细菌在含有黑麦草碱的草上比其他细菌菌株生长到更高的群体大小。据认为，一个多营养共生体之间的黑麦草分解代谢细菌，宿主，和内生真菌发生在草叶际。本项目将测试分解黑麦草碱的真菌对宿主生长的潜在积极影响。将通过生长测定、显微镜检查和生物化学来筛选产生植物生长调节剂、生长素和细胞分裂素的细菌。此外，还将通过筛选产抗菌物质的黑麦草碱分解菌来研究其对宿主草的保护作用。还将检查细菌通过生态位排斥保护其宿主的能力。将对这些试验进行培养和生物化学技术的组合。最后，利用黑麦草碱分解菌株对Neotyphodium sp.窝藏草的亲和力对主要污染物阿特拉津进行生物修复的潜力将被测试。从这项工作中收集的数据将对目前有关微生物的科学知识产生广泛的影响：微生物相互作用。这项工作可能会产生一种有效的方法来消除环境中的阿特拉津，这将为后代产生更安全的地下水。