Mediation of plant-herbivore interactions by foliar bacterial endophytes: A test using a native Pseudomonas-mustard-insect interaction system

叶内生细菌介导植物-草食动物相互作用：使用天然假单胞菌-芥菜-昆虫相互作用系统的测试

• 批准号: 1256758
• 负责人: Noah Whiteman
• 金额: $ 15万
• 依托单位: University of Arizona
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-03-01 至 2016-02-29
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1256758&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Mediation; plant; herbivore; interactions; foliar

Parasites are among the strongest negative factors in the health and performance of both plants and animals. Plant and animal hosts have in turn evolved robust immune systems that are organized into distinct branches that respond to different types of parasites. However, evidence suggests that when attack by one type of parasite activates one branch of the immune system, other branches can be de-activated. This could mean that co-infection by more than one type of parasite could partly defeat an immune response and have more serious combined effects than expected from just adding the effects of separate attacks by each parasite. The project will test this using a native plant species and its natural, pathogenic bacteria and herbivores in an alpine ecosystem in the Rocky Mountains. The researchers will conduct field and laboratory experiments to show if prior infection with leaf-dwelling bacteria renders the plants more susceptible to attack by leaf-chewing herbivores, and vice versa. Use of molecular techniques will further show if this is accompanied by de-activation of the branches of the immune system of the plant that are respectively responsible for resistance to bacteria and herbivores. This project will help fill an important gap in our understanding of the importance of co-infection in nature.This project will train undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral scientists, and a high school teacher in ecology, molecular biology, and microbiology. The award will also further the career of a young investigator by providing his first major federal funding. The study species are relatives of major agricultural pathogens, pests, and crop plants, so results should help understand how to reduce agricultural losses. The research should also have applications to medicine, because co-infection is also a health problem in humans. For example, prior infection of people with intestinal worms can lead to increased susceptibility to microbial infections.

寄生虫是对动植物的健康和表现最不利的因素之一。 植物和动物宿主反过来进化出强大的免疫系统，这些免疫系统被组织成不同的分支，对不同类型的寄生虫做出反应。 然而，有证据表明，当一种寄生虫的攻击激活了免疫系统的一个分支时，其他分支可能会被灭活。 这可能意味着，一种以上寄生虫的共同感染可能会部分破坏免疫反应，并产生比预期更严重的综合影响，而不仅仅是增加每种寄生虫单独攻击的影响。 该项目将在落基山脉的高山生态系统中使用本地植物物种及其天然致病细菌和食草动物进行测试。 研究人员将进行田间和实验室实验，以证明先前感染叶栖细菌是否会使植物更容易受到咀嚼叶子的食草动物的攻击，反之亦然。 分子技术的使用将进一步显示这是否伴随着分别负责抵抗细菌和食草动物的植物免疫系统分支的失活。 这个项目将帮助填补我们对自然界中共同感染重要性的认识上的一个重要空白。这个项目将培训本科生和研究生、博士后科学家以及一名高中教师，从事生态学、分子生物学和微生物学方面的工作。 该奖项还将通过提供他的第一笔主要联邦资金来进一步推动一位年轻调查员的职业生涯。 研究物种是主要农业病原体，害虫和作物的亲戚，因此结果应该有助于了解如何减少农业损失。 这项研究也应该应用于医学，因为合并感染也是人类的健康问题。 例如，先前感染肠道蠕虫的人可能会导致对微生物感染的易感性增加。